No Place To Call Home
by nariai
Summary: She has always been a liar. (Or: In which love becomes just another word for obsession and two souls merge into one.) [SI, Self-Insert/OC-Insert as Chrome]
1. Dollhouse

**This is the first oneshot I have ever finished writing. I don't know why, but I find it harder to write a oneshot than a new chapter for one of my other stories.**

 **If you want a continuation of 'Dollhouse', then inform me of that in a PM or review. I might change it into a twoshot if that's the case.**

 **Anyway, as some of you might have noticed the name of this story and the title of this chapter are different. That's because 'No Place To Call Home' will actually be the place where I will publish all of my KHR oneshots.**

 **Please leave a review.**

 **Summary: She has always been a liar. (Or: In which love becomes just another word for obsession and two souls merge into one.) [SI, Self-Insert/OC-Insert as Chrome]**

 **Have fun.**

* * *

 _Dollhouse_

* * *

 _puppeteer_ (n.) _a person who manipulates puppets, as in a puppet show._

* * *

I.

* * *

Akiyama Nagi was a sweet girl.

Shy and adorable with wide eyes and pink pouty lips. Long strands of purple hair tumbled down her back and contrasted heavily with her pale skin. She spent almost an hour curling and arranging them perfectly each day. Those velvety ringlets had to frame her face in just the right way, so that she looked like a porcelain doll.

In her closet only her school uniforms or cute little dresses could be found. Nagi wore the former during school, changing into something more physically appealing afterwards.

Fine feathers made fine birds, after all.

That was one of the most important lessons she had learned during her eight years of life. Another one was to love herself more than anyone else.

Narcissism ran in her family. It was a trait she shared with her mother.

Akiyama Maiko, though it might have been hard to believe, was even more in love with herself than Nagi.

The Japanese actress, despite being a horrible mother, was Nagi's biggest role model. Because of her conviction and self-confidence she had managed to rise from a normal middle-class girl to one of the most famous women in Japan. Maiko had fought for her place at the top, completely disregarding anyone who stood in her way.

Nagi could appreciate such a strength, especially after what had happened the last time she had decided to put someone else's happiness above her own.

In her previous life, when she had still been known as Aurora Urbina, Nagi had sacrificed her own contentment and _life_ for another person. Donating one of her kidneys for her sister's husband ended up being a pivotal mistake that ultimately ended in her death.

(...when her remaining kidney failed, her sister left her with the pretense that she could not stand so much stress in her fragile state...

...

...a pregnancy wasn't a strong enough excuse to leave ones dying sister _alone...)_

From the moment she opened her eyes to a new life, Nagi knew that selflessness was not something she could afford ever again.

To survive her egoistical mother and the complete lack of any true privacy that came with being her daughter, the girl had to learn quickly how pull through all kinds of situations. And what better way was there to do just that than to charm the people around her into oblivion.

She watched her mother playing some of her roles and learned how to create a perfect mask for herself.

It wasn't easy. At first she slipped many times and let her inner distaste show on the outside, but soon Nagi learned how to smile even when she felt like crying.

At the age of eight she could even fool her own mother. Hours spent before the mirror made sure of that.

Controlling her facial movements became an effortless endeavor. She just had to tilt he lips upwards in the right way and allow a few wrinkles to appear near her eyes. If she wanted something, a cute pout and slightly damp eyes were enough to get it most times.

Humans were very easily manipulated.

Nagi had felt guilty for using others like that at first. That changed pretty quickly when she burst into flames for the first time...

 _..._

 _...literally.  
_

* * *

II.

* * *

Nagi had been six when she had lost one of her eyes in a car accident.

Her biological father had decided to drive her to school that day. None of the driving rules had been broken by them, nor could their tragic accident truly be considered as an _accident._

It was more along the lines of _murder._

Only a few days prior her father, who was the CEO of some big company, had fired one of his employees. The scorned man had decided to get his revenge by driving his car into her father's limousine.

She could not remember much of the impact.

There had been the screech of tires and the sound of shattering glass. Her eye _burned..._

 _..._

 _...and oh god she did not want to die again..._

 _..._

 _..._

 _..._ her heart pounded against her chest and something wet trickled down her cheek. Later, she would find out that it had been blood along with the eye's vitreous humor...

...

...Nagi could not, no, _would not_ die for a second time...

...when she finally gathered her resolve, something inside her flared up. Indigo filled her vision and quickly changed into a steel shield.

A protective wall rose around her and stopped anything harmful coming the girl's way. Once the car finally ceased moving and her panicked breathing evened slightly, the _construct_ disappeared.

Slumping forward, Nagi fainted from exhaustion.

* * *

III.

* * *

Waking up in a hospital was never a pleasant experience. Finding out that one had just lost their eye was even worse.

Realizing that she had been reborn into a fictional world she had once watched with her _sister,_ trumped both on the list of horrible things that had happened to her.

Aurora—And it was for the first time in _years_ that she referred to herself as such.—had somehow become the girl who was supposed to be known as Dokuro Chrome in the future. The Dokuro Chrome who would one day end up being the Mist Guardian of the Vongola Decimo.

She had somehow been reincarnated into the world of Katekyo Hitman Reborn!

A world where the Mafia was ruled by rainbow-colored flames and she herself was fated to be bound to a psychopath.

The girl did not want to have anything to do with _Rokudo Mukuro._

(...What she did not realize at that time was that the moment she had activated her Flames, a connection between herself and the other Mist had already been formed...)

Laying underneath her scratchy hospital blanked, Nagi acknowledge that the Mafia was not something she could currently survive. The anime might have painted the whole thing as some heroic organization, but this was _real_ now.

She doubted that anyone would spare her just because she was a child.

Looking down at her trembling hands, Nagi knew that she had to at least gain enough control of her _Flames_ to be able to hide herself from the whole world. But how was she supposed to do that?

Her knowledge on this fantastical power consisted of the few things she had learned from an anime for _kids._ Was the strength of her _Will_ really all that mattered?

Nagi tried imagining a small plant, tried to will it into existence, only to quickly notice that it wasn't working.

 _She did not give up._

* * *

IV.

* * *

Three weeks, that was how long she needed to create her first illusion.

There were many factors Nagi had not thought of the first time she tried using her Flames. Firstly, she had to remember how she had felt at the moment she activated her Flames for the first time. Secondly, she had to imagine every single detail of her construct. Thinking of something as vague as 'a small plant' wasn't helpful. Lastly, she had to truly _want_ to create an illusion.

The image of her _dead sister_ was quite easily turned into _reality._

Her dark hair splayed across the bloodied floor of her room. Pale skin and bulging eyes. Signs of strangulation on her delicate throat.

For a few seconds, Nagi's room looked like the working place of a butcher.

Then she lost control of her Flames and her sister disappeared.

Nagi did not know what to think about herself anymore.

* * *

V.

* * *

 _She dreamed of being in the hospital and dying there without anyone by her side._

* * *

VI.

* * *

''What do you think about your Kaa-chan's newest movie, Nagi-chan?'' Asked a young female reporter who was holding a microphone in front of her face.

Nagi clapped her hands excitedly and forced her lips to tilt upwards into an admiring smile. ''It's great!'' Her one visible eye widened slightly, the other was covered by a frilly eyepatch. ''Kaa-chan is like the best hero ever. She goes in there and the bad guys go like _boom_ and everyone is safe because of her.''

Animated gestures accompanied her exclamations, prompting a few woman to gush in the background.

The smile turned into a grin that showed off her few missing teeth.

Copying her action, the reporter patted her head in what was supposed to be a comforting manner. ''You must be proud of your Kaa-chan.''

''I am.'' She wanted to sneer in disgust. ''Kaa-chan is the best Kaa-chan in the whole world.''

Nodding in understanding, the woman turned her attention back to Maiko.

Nagi almost laughed at how easily everyone seemed to believe one of her biggest lies.

* * *

VII.

* * *

Her dreams were always the same...until one day they _weren't._

Until one day she did not die _alone._

* * *

VIII.

* * *

The changes were small at first.

More light in the room. A less oppressive atmosphere. The sound of a peculiar chuckle.

And then _he_ appeared at her bedside. Much smaller than she imagined _he_ could ever be and with eyes _too old_ for his childish face.

 _Rokudo Mukuro._

* * *

IX.

* * *

 _Heterochromia Iridium._

One eye a startling blue, the other as red as sin and with a kanji instead of a normal pupil.

Nagi never wanted to meet the boy whose Flames would one day merge with her own, until the two of them became _one._ And yet it seemed as if she had found in him the one person she had been unconsciously looking for.

Rokudo Mukuro was the only being in this world who could ever truly _understand_ her.

After all, just like her, this tiny boy remembered a life that wasn't his anymore.

He remembered his previous incarnations.

* * *

X.

* * *

Their interactions were cautious at the beginning.

Tentatively, they reached out to each other through their dreams and created a bond not even a _Sky_ could break. Nagi was, surprisingly, the first one who initiated contact.

Laying on her deathbed, she reached out with her hand and took a tight hold of his wrist.

The next time they met, Mukuro finally introduced himself.

* * *

XI.

* * *

The hospital room soon changed into a meadow.

* * *

XII.

* * *

They were playing a game of cards when Nagi spoke the truth for the first time in years.

''I hate them.'' She let her eyes stray from her cards. ''I hate them all.''

Mukuro tilted his head, a curious smile appearing on his lips. ''Them?''

''Them all.'' Nodding her head, Nagi put her cards down on the grass and spread her hands to both sides. ''My mother and her new husband. All the reporters who follow me everywhere I go. Those fools who can't see through the lies of a little girl.''

The boy laughed loudly once she finished elaborating her problem, his head thrown backwards and shoulders trembling. ''But you aren't a little girl, are you, _Nagi?''_

* * *

XIII.

* * *

It was hard to hate someone who had suffered more than she did. It was hard to not feel sympathy for the boy who appeared in her dreams with visible signs of _torture_ on his body.

After a while, she stopped trying.

* * *

XIV.

* * *

Maiko's new husband was exactly what she had always imagined he would be.

A tall, good-looking and rich man with the personality of a shoebox.

Nagi saw the way he looked at her mother and wondered who was the winner and who was the loser in their marriage. She did not care enough to find out.

* * *

XV.

* * *

Becoming the stepdaughter of one of the richest men in Japan had both its ups and downs.

For one, Nagi now had even more money—Though it wasn't as if she had not inherited enough from her biological father.—and _power._ And yet that also meant that she had to visit more public events and galas where both Maiko and her were shown off like some priced possessions.

Rich people could be delightfully ignorant and disgustingly arrogant which made her outings both amusing and irritating.

They believed her to be a bunny surrounded by a pack of wolves, while in truth she was a bear just waiting to attack.

When the right time finally came, they wouldn't know what hit them.

* * *

XVI.

* * *

It was curious how she found herself growing fond of the boy she had once expected to hate.

Mukuro's witty remarks managed to lighten her mood and his not so unexpectedly dark humor always made her laugh.

Nagi began to yearn for their meetings.

* * *

XVII.

* * *

When he appeared in their meadow pale and bloodied, Nagi said nothing. She patted her knees lightly and waited until his head rested upon them.

Her hands wandered through his tangled hair as a soothing tune left her lips.

Pity wasn't something Mukuro needed or desired.

* * *

XVIII.

* * *

She didn't know when it happened, but at some point Nagi started to feel her fellow Mist even outside of their shared dreams.

She could feel his _hunger,_ his _pain_ and his _hatred._

Nagi welcomed it all with open arms.

* * *

XIX.

* * *

 _Mist Flames were the only thing keeping Mukuro alive._

* * *

XX.

* * *

School was laughably easy and at the same time incredibly hard.

 _Aurora_ knew everything they were being taught and that gave Nagi an incredible advantage. That did not mean that her grades managed to be better than average.

It was impossible to concentrate while hearing Mukuro's pain filled shrieks echoing in the back of her head.

* * *

XXI.

* * *

In the anime Mukuro and Chrome looked eerily similar to each other.

That wasn't truly the case. At the first glance they might have shared some of their outer traits, but there were still many differences that showed that they weren't actually related.

Nagi's hair was a dark purple, while Mukuro's was an even darker blue. His features were sharper than hers and he clearly had a foreign heritage. The female Mist was fully Japanese.

The two of them might have been similar, but they were never one and the same.

* * *

XXII.

* * *

Her tenth birthday started with a song sung by the maids and ended with a massacre.

After being awoken by a 'happy birthday' spoken in a broken English and eating a piece of her birthday cake, Nagi prepared herself for all the guests that would arrive later. She curled her hair and put on a cute rose colored dress.

When noon finally arrived, she opened the door for all of her _'friends'._

An hour later she watched the end of the Estraneo Famiglia through Mukuro's eyes, their screams ringing loudly in her ears and their blood clinging to her skin.

* * *

XXIII.

* * *

''Why didn't you escape earlier?'' Asked Nagi after everything was over.

Mukuro chuckled sinisterly, his hand reaching out to brush a stray curl behind her ear. ''There were still a few things left I could learn from them.''

And it was then that she realized that Mukuro had never been a _child_ either.

* * *

XXIV.

* * *

Had she not been capable of controlling her dreams, then most of her nights would have been filled with nightmares.

Nightmares of her past life and death. Of the horrors she had seen in Mukuro's mind and all the things he had to endure. Nagi would have dreamed of the bloodbaths the other Mist had caused. Crimson would have colored her inner world and made her fear falling asleep.

As it was, even if she ever did lose control of her own mind, Mukuro was still there to stop anything bad from happening. He created a haven for the both of them and protected her from the demons inside both of their minds.

It was when she realized this truth, that Nagi finally knew what love truly was.

* * *

XXV.

* * *

 _''Teach me how to use our Flames.''_

* * *

XXVI.

* * *

The most wonderful thing about Mist Flames was that they had no boundaries. Everything imaginable could be turned into reality by them.

Even missing body parts could be restored.

Pushing the blue eyepatch upwards, Nagi smiled in self-satisfaction at the sight of the red iris and black kanji staring back at her.

* * *

XXVII.

* * *

''Where did you learn how to braid someone's hair?'' Asked Nagi during one of their nightly sessions. She was resting comfortably upon the soft green grass and enjoying the feeling of Mukuro's fingers playing with her hair. Both of her eyes were open now, one of them showing her connection to the navy haired boy.

The fingers stopped moving for a second. ''I didn't learn it, but you did.''

Such a revelation should have been more surprising, except it really _wasn't._ As unusual as their relationship was, Nagi had learned to completely rely on it. This wasn't the first time one of them seemed to be able to do something without ever having truly learned it. Whether these abilities came from their previous lives or their counterparts did not really matter at the end.

As such, it wasn't really a surprise that Mukuro knew how to braid her hair, nor was it weird that both of them could understand and speak languages they by all means should not know.

While Mukuro knew Japanese and Spanish because of her, Nagi could suddenly speak fluently in Italian.

* * *

XXVIII.

* * *

Nagi had a bad immune system which meant that she was sick very often, especially during winter.

Fevers, chills, coughs and headaches were common in this new life. They were also the reason why her new mother saw her as someone _weak_ and the cause of her first friendship.

(...what Mukuro and she had could not be called 'friendship'. Such a word wasn't strong enough to describe their relationship...)

Furukawa Midori was one year younger than Nagi and yet never wanted to be called 'senpai'. They went to the same school and Nagi had seen the other girl a few times during a break or lunch time, but there had been no interactions between the two girls before that fateful day.

Long story short, out of the whole school, Midori was the only one who choose to offer Nagi her help. The older girl held Nagi's hair to keep it out of her vomit's way, whereas everyone else just stepped away and pointed at her with their fingers at the first sign of illness.

After Nagi finished spilling her guts, Midori accompanied her to the nurse and stayed at her side until a maid arrived to pick up the young Mist.

That small act of kindness was enough to win Nagi's favor, the fact that Midori came back a week later to ask her how she was feeling ensured their friendship.

Nagi, for the first time in years, opened her heart for another person and allowed that tiny child to slip inside.

* * *

XXIX.

* * *

Envy.

One of the Seven Deadly Sins.

The fire burning inside her chest each time she saw Chikusa and Ken at Mukuro's side.

 _Nagi wanted to be there as well._

* * *

XXX.

* * *

''You're going to kill them.''

It was a statement filled with so much conviction and sureness that not even the biggest liar in the world could properly deny it. Nagi knew exactly what would happen in the next few days because she had _seen_ it happen once before.

(...A small part of her was aware of the fact that this was the first time she openly acknowledged the implications of her _memories_ , thus Mukuro's knowing look should have been a cause of unease and not relief...)

Mukuro smiled brightly, his heterochromatic eyes filled with a false innocence. ''I will.''

* * *

XXXI.

* * *

A day later Mukuro slaughter the Famiglia that had taken him in a few months prior.

* * *

XXXII.

* * *

Apathy filled her each time she watched the other Mist commit a crime.

Nagi often wondered what was _wrong_ with her because she should have by now _hated_ the boy that so easily killed other human beings. She should have been disgusted by his deeds and she certainly should not have accepted him so easily.

However, she quickly found out that it was practically impossible to hate the extension of one's own soul.

 _She would just have to hate the sin and love the sinner._

* * *

XXXIII.

* * *

''That movie was really great, Nagi-chan. Your mother is a fantastic actress.'' Midori gushed, throwing the leftovers of their popcorn into the trash bin.

Nagi nodded her head. ''That she is.''

''Hmm...'' The older girl walked over to her invaded her personal space. ''You don't sound too happy. Perhaps we should go eat some ice cream, ne? That always helps me in improving my mood.''

''Some salted caramel ice cream does not sound too bad.'' Agreed Nagi halfheartedly as she tried to push Midori away from her face.

The brunette grabbed her hand and started tugging her down the street. ''Great!''

* * *

XXXIV.

* * *

They were caught by the authorities. Nagi didn't know if those authorities belonged to the state or the mafia, the only thing that truly mattered was that at the age of fourteen Rokudo Mukuro was forcefully dragged into prison alongside his companions.

 _Something inside of her raged._

* * *

XXXV.

* * *

Mukuro never listened. He always did whatever was right in his opinion and did not let any foreknowledge he gained through her deter him.

Despite knowing the outcome of his actions, he still decided to repeat the mistakes of his fictional self. Perhaps it was the idea of opposing fate that made him so eager or some misled need to prove himself capable, but the boy just did not know when to stop. None of his intelligence and cunning seemed to work the moment he set his mind on something.

If he wanted to kill someone, then he would do it even though the end result might harm him.

Determination was something he certainly wasn't lacking and common sense belonged to the few qualities he still needed to develop.

Nagi was worried about him and what the future entailed for the both of them. To stop the worst from happening, she started to scheme.

Due to the missing and not deeply enough elaborated scenes in the anime, Nagi did not have even halfway enough information to form a secure plan. Her only hope was that the events that had happened in the once fictional world would happen here in the same way.

Should that not be the case, there might be no happy ending for either of the Mists.

* * *

XXXVI.

* * *

Swallowing her bite, Nagi decided to interrupt the rather unpleasant silence of their dining room. ''The tuna is really good.''

She never did claim to be a good conversationalist.

''Yes, it is.'' Uttered her stepfather after taking a sip of his wine. Afterwards, his gaze wandered to Maiko and a sneer appeared on his face. Trouble in paradise, huh?

For a second Nagi contemplated whether her mother had perhaps gone off and cheated on her second husband. She came to the conclusion that it really wasn't her business. The man must have known whom he was marrying before saying yes and if he didn't, then he was an even bigger fool than she had already thought him to be. ''I've watched a documentary about fishing last week. Did you know that tuna fishes are _huge?''_

 _''_ You've watched a documentary about fishing?'' A weird expression appeared on Maiko's face. ''Don't you have anything better to do?''

''Well, not really. And did you?'' Nagi tilted her head to the side and forced an obnoxious smile onto her face.

Maiko put her chopsticks on the table. ''Did I what?''

The young Mist sighed in a forced annoyance and gesticulated animatedly with her hands. ''Did you know that tuna fishes are _huge?''_

Shaking her head in resignation, her mother wiped her face with a napkin and slowly rose from her seat. ''Not really. Such things have never truly interested me.'' Her lips curled contemptuously. ''And what is it with you? Do you want to become a fisher or something equally as lowly?''

Nagi grinned brightly just to irritate the woman a little more. ''Perhaps.''

* * *

XXXVII.

* * *

When they closed their eyes, they could see the world through each other.

Nagi could see Mukuro's bleak prison cell and the special chains used to subdue _their_ Flames.

Mukuro got a taste of the outside world that had once again been stolen from him. During his worst years the seemingly young boy lived through Nagi. He observed her daily life and learned everything she did.

She was the only _freedom_ he had ever known.

* * *

XXXVIII.

* * *

The light was green.

The street should have been safe.

Nagi did not manage to walk across it.

* * *

XXXIX.

* * *

It was Mukuro's quick intervention that kept her from dying for a second time. He cushioned her fall and used their Flames to stop her organs from failing.

From that day on, their Flames were the only thing keeping Nagi alive.

* * *

XL.

* * *

''Sleep. I w _ill_ protect you.''

* * *

XLI.

* * *

The doctors claimed that her survival was a miracle. They wondered how such a thing could be even possible.

Nagi manipulated them to forget about her.

Garnering the attention of the Mafia or, even worse, the Vindice was not among her future plans.

* * *

XLII.

* * *

Nagi was thirteen years old when Mukuro escaped from prison and the plot of a once fictional series started. She curiously watched how he traveled across half of the world and enjoyed sights she had never seen before. The mountains, the sea and all those famous landmarks everyone spoke about.

Anxiety and calmness were carefully exchanged between them until the male Mist's group finally arrived in Japan.

Mukuro set his sights on Namimori.

Nagi was already there, waiting for him.

* * *

XLIII.

* * *

''Could I have some of whatever they are having, sir?''

Yamamoto Tsuyoshi turned around abruptly when he heard that tiny childish voice and his gaze immediately settled on the small girl behind his counter. Big violet eyes stared back at him as his newest guest fingered the ends of her white dress. She even toed the floor with her shiny black boots.

His instincts _screamed._

A friendly smile was forced upon his face. ''You mean some of the Makizushi?''

''Yes!'' She grinned brightly, showing off her perfectly white teeth. ''Are they good?''

While preparing the necessary ingredients, Tsuyoshi never turned his back to the girl. He watched her without a break and made sure that she did not move from her new spot on one of the chairs. ''I would like to think so.''

''Great! Then prepare _two_ portions for me, please.''

* * *

XLIV.

* * *

She watched _Sawada Tsunayoshi_ from afar and a part of her felt _disgusted._

 _That was supposed to be their Sky?_

* * *

XLV.

* * *

Reborn almost shot her during one of her _expeditions._

Nagi managed to escape in the last second, leaving an illusion of a dead woman behind. She doubted that it managed to fool the World's Greatest Hitman.

* * *

XLVI.

* * *

After the Vongola Decimo and his ragtag group entered the building, Nagi quickly gathered her other half's companions and put them inside the cab she had used to get there. The driver did not even blink twice at the sudden appearance of two bloodied boys.

After all, it wasn't as if he could see anything she did not want him to see.

Giving him enough money to cover the fee of driving the boys out of the city, Nagi whispered the address of one of her biological father's houses into his ear. Then she sent him off with the two injured boys.

Hopefully, the Vindice would be more interested in catching Mukuro and not them, otherwise Chikusa and Ken might end up in some real shit.

Well, she had done her best to save them.

* * *

XLVII.

* * *

Nagi interfered before Mukuro could be truly harmed, creating a sturdy shield between his body and Tsuna's fist.

Sky Flames collided with her construct and tried to burn their way through the illusion. Her will to protect her fellow Mist was stronger than that of Tsunayoshi.

Before the fight could continue, she grabbed Mukuro's wrist and pulled him towards the window. He didn't stop her from flinging the both of them out of if, just created a huge three meters high mountain of pillows to catch them.

They disappear a few minutes before the Vindice arrived.

* * *

XLVIII.

* * *

''I bought some sushi for you.''

* * *

XLIX.

* * *

Their first meeting. Their first touch. Their first words to each other.

Those were all things neither of them would ever forget.

* * *

L.

* * *

''This is Akiyama Nagi, my...'' Mukuro frowned in contemplation. Soon a frustrated sigh escaped his lips. ''I don't think that there is actually a fitting word for this.''

Chikusa threw a cautious look in her direction, while Ken just scratched his head in confusion. Nagi found the whole proceedings quite amusing.

''We could use something as sappy as 'other half', but it sounds really plebeian, don't you think?'' She inferred after a while passed without anyone saying what was on their minds.

Mukuro shook his head. ''We will find something better. Until then the scientific term will have to be enough.''

''Twin Flames?'' Nagi rolled her eyes. ''That doesn't sound much better.''

''It's not as if you have a more fitting idea.'' The male Mist sat down on one of the chairs in the room.

Following his example, she sat down on the chair next to him and put her feet on his lap. ''Maybe I do.''

Mukuro just chuckled in his usual manner. ''Have you already forgotten? Our minds are connected, so I know that you don't have any better ideas.''

Nagi pouted.


	2. Heartless

**Merry Christmas!**

 **Here is another oneshot that might turn into a twoshot.**

 **Summary: Her eighth life starts in captivity. (Or: In which an old soul gets reincarnated into a world ruled by rainbow-colored flames and ends up becoming the Sky of the World's Greatest Hitman.) [SI, Self-Insert/OC-Insert]**

 **Enjoy.**

* * *

 _Heartless_

* * *

 _samsara_ (n.) _a sequence of change, impermanence, the cycle of rebirth-redeath that afflicts every living being until release._

* * *

I.

* * *

Her eight life started in captivity.

It was the first time she was reborn in such a situation, though she had been through worse in the past. While the dark walls trapping her were rather stifling, they still offered protection against all the natural disasters that might occur outdoors.

After her last death, that was actually a blessing.

She would not have fancied dying due to a hurricane once again.

* * *

II.

* * *

Three stone walls. Steel bars. A freezing floor.

She was laying on an old mattress, a thin tattered blanket wrapped around her bony body. It was cold, incredibly so. White puffs of air were visible each time she exhaled a breath.

Her newest incarnation was three years old. They always were when the memories returned.

Sighing, the girl closed her eyes. Sleep did not manage to elude her for too long.

* * *

III.

* * *

Once upon a time, she might have cared about her current situation.

That time had long since passed.

Eight lifetimes of hardships, despair and loss had secured her a rather pragmatic outlook and desensitize her to the world around her. It was hard to _feel_ anything when she knew that at the end it would not matter.

At the end, the girl would die and get reborn _again._ What did a few years in captivity matter, when she had already tasted freedom more than once. When in a few years this new body of hers would _expire_ and she would just receive a _new_ one.

There was no reason for her to care about something as fleeting as _one_ life.

* * *

IV.

* * *

The scientists came during her third day in this new life.

She was sleeping when they arrived and it was the rattling of their keys that awakened her from a deep slumber. Cautiously, she opened her eyes and squinted at them, looking up at the balding man above her.

There was no warning, just a harsh hand reaching out for her body and carelessly picking it up. Leonzio, as she would later find out was his name, dragged her out of the prison cell and down a long empty corridor.

That night her s _creams_ echoed through the whole building.

* * *

V.

* * *

 _She had been an African boy named Nuru in her previous life._

* * *

VI.

* * *

The Estraneo Famiglia consisted of some of cruelest souls she had seen in the last few decades.

They possessed no morals or empathy, only a scientific curiosity that made them _incredible_ at their profession. Although she did not like them, the girl could admit that the two leading scientists, Alfieri and Leonzio, were _great._

And to be _truly_ great in this field, she knew just as well as they did, one had to be a _monster._

* * *

VII.

* * *

What they were doing to her would be a mystery for a very long time.

Even on the day she burst into _flames_ nothing became clearer. The name they gave her did not help all that much either.

 _Tertia._

She was the third one.

 _The third_ _what exactly?_

* * *

VIII.

* * *

Tertia quickly found out that the orange flames dancing across her body were called _Sky Flames._

They did not burn her, but neither did they do something as useful as healing the dark bruises on her skin or the wounds left by all the needles that had been injected into her body. Their only good attribute was their color.

It complemented her auburn hair.

* * *

IX.

* * *

Once she found enough motivation, Tertia started to explore her new home.

Some might have claimed that there wasn't much to see, however, she had already gotten used to meager accommodations in her poorer lives. As such, the girl started memorizing all the specialties in her new 'home'. From the cracks in the floor to the small inscriptions on the walls.

 _There had been others before her in that cell._

Names, hand prints or just simple manmade lines decorated the walls and gave the barren room a personal touch.

After a while, Tertia added her own scorched imprint.

* * *

X.

* * *

She was four when they started introducing her to other children.

Those meetings, Tertia thought, were actually worse than any other experiments she was forced to partake in. The children, although a small part of her pitied them, were impossible to stand. All of them seemed to want something from her, their colorful flames reaching out to her and leaving small scars on her soul.

While Tertia seemed to call out to them, none of the other prisoners managed to catch her attention in return. Over and over she had to rejected their ill-fated advances and each time something inside of her _hurt._

 _(...A Sky should never be forced to bond with an Element...)_

It was a horrible cycle that never stopped. The scientists always brought new children into her cell. Children who practically threw themselves onto her.

At the beginning she hated them for their behavior, but that changed when she found out about the consequences of her rejection.

 _Where the forceful attempts caused her pain, they also completely destroyed those she did not accept._

* * *

XI.

* * *

A year passed and her weariness only grew with each passing day. Most times Tertia could not bring herself to even stand up from her cot and she had long since given up on fighting the scientists during her _treatments._

She did not even push the foreign children away anymore and allowed her _Flames_ to do it in her stead.

 _Anger_ wasn't an uncommon reaction to her rejection, the scratches on her arms showed just that. Perhaps she would have once fought against the aggressive outburst of those small boys and girls, but she did not have enough _will_ left to fight them anymore.

Neither did she believe that those injuries were truly undeserved.

* * *

XII.

* * *

Giving up was not an option.

Tertia had already killed herself _twice_ and she knew that it never did end well.

* * *

XIII.

* * *

Her interactions with the other prisoners were always the same until one day they _weren't._

Until one day a young dark haired boy with haunted eyes was led into her prison, his indigo Flames reaching out to her. It took less than a second for them to twine themselves with her orange ones.

One moment there was only Tertia and then he was suddenly there as well. A fundamental part of her soul that made her feel more content than she had in a long time.

 _She had never seen the scientists as gleeful before._

* * *

XIV.

* * *

 _Rokudo Mukuro._

* * *

XV.

* * *

The boy was relocated into the cell next to her own and once they were finally alone, he introduced himself as _Rokudo Mukuro._

Right after his introduction, Tertia spent a moment wondering what a Japanese boy was doing as an experiment in Italy. Then she thought about the fact that they had been trapped in this dungeon by the _Mafia_ of all things, so the whole thing did not seem as improbable anymore.

Reaching out through a gap between the prison bars, the girl offered the other child her hand. She was hesitant at first, but her instincts were urging her to trust this boy and if there was one thing she had been forced to learn in all of her lives, it was to trust her instincts.

When she did not immediately receive a responding touch, the redhead lowered her hand with her palm pointing upwards and uttered her first words in this new life, ''I'm Tertia.''

A few minutes of silence passed before a small hand took a hold of her own.

* * *

XVI.

* * *

Mukuro was a year younger than her and did not speak any other language than Italian.

That would not have been too much of a problem if Tertia had even the slightest mastery of the language. She did not, obviously.

Tertia knew Spanish and French, though, which helped her learn Italian and was something she could teach the small boy. The scientists did not care about something like their knowledge, thus they did nothing to stop them.

Knowledge was power and power was something they both would have in spades.

* * *

XVII.

* * *

 _The experiments continued._

* * *

XVIII.

* * *

More often than not, they were dragged together into the labs. The scientists liked observing their reactions to the other being tortured.

While Mukuro's Flames raged outwardly, Tertia herself seethed internally and prepared herself for the day she would _slaughter_ them all.

* * *

XIX.

* * *

During her unusually long life, Tertia had changed a lot. The first time she had died, she had been only fourteen years old. Russia wasn't the nicest of places during the 20th century, especially for a newly orphaned infant. Her second life had only been slightly longer than her first one and taught her to rely on no one but herself.

It was also during that life that she saw the darker aspects of humanity for the first time.

(...after that life, she did not dare to go back to Russia for more than two lifetimes...)

For sixteen years the girl—back then she had called herself Natalya—had lived on the streets of Moscow as a thief. She had stolen things from the rich and poor and done everything to survive, until one day she tried to rob the wrong person and ended up dead in an alley once again.

The next time she got reincarnated, it was as a _boy._

* * *

XX.

* * *

Children were continually brought into her cell. Their presence and Flames hurt her so much that she was forced to learn how to _hide_ her own fire.

The first time she managed to successfully pull them into herself so that nothing seemed to be left of them, Mukuro killed the two boys who had been thrown into her prison and the scientist that was standing outside their cells.

His illusions were as great as they were _horrifying._ Disfigured monsters crawled along the walls and dug their sharp claws into their visitors' skin. Blood was splattered along the ground and innards glued to the stone that trapped them.

Tertia would never forget the sounds of Mukuro's _mournful_ and more than slightly _mad_ shrieks.

* * *

XXI.

* * *

One day, instead of a child, an adult returned into Mukuro's cell. His eyes older than they had any right to be and shoulders weighted down by a heavy burden.

 _A bright crimson colored his iris. The cycle of Samsara was reflected by his pupil._

For the first time in years, Tertia _pitied_ another being.

 _She would not have wished her fate even upon her worst enemy._

* * *

XXII.

* * *

''Have you ever been a girl?'' Asked Tertia after an especially long session in the labs.

Mukuro played softly with her fingers and hummed. ''Twice, I think.''

* * *

XXIII.

* * *

There wasn't much to do inside their cells.

Talking was one of their only options and so that was exactly what they did. Mukuro told her about some of his lives and taught her one or two languages she had not known from before.

Tertia did the same.

* * *

XXIV.

* * *

All her lives, whether they were long or short, had steeled Tertia's heart and numbed her to cruelty of the world. They had taught her how to survive in the harshest of environments and the true _value_ of a life.

During seven lifetimes the girl had become apathetic towards humanity. She had stopped caring about the well being of the people surrounding her and about what most considered to be morally right or wrong.

If killing a few scientists would set her free, then she would not mind doing just that.

* * *

XXV.

* * *

Mukuro came back into the dungeons by himself one day. Blood covered his whole body and the smirk gracing his lips ignited a curious fire inside Tertia's chest.

He opened her cell with a conjured key and offered her his hand.

Tertia took it without hesitation.

* * *

XXVI.

* * *

On the 7th October 2003 two children _slaughtered_ the entire Estraneo Famiglia.

 _No survivors were left behind._

Mukuro made sure that no one who could bother his _Sky_ lived. He did not hesitate in killing the other test subjects, not even the two boys who might have been his friends in another life were spared from his wrath.

* * *

XXV.

* * *

Before Tertia left the Estraneo mansion, she made sure to pack as many files as would fit in the small bag that had belonged to Leonzio.

Due to those files she finally learned how this world she had been reborn into differed from her previous one. She found out about the Flames both Mukuro and her could use and what they meant in the Mafia.

The rarity of her own Sky Flames insured that she would never truly be _free_ in this world.

* * *

XXVI.

* * *

They wandered the streets of Italy. Two old souls trapped inside the bodies of children.

Theft and murder insured their survival. Each time Mukuro came to her with a piece of bread in his hand and new bloodstains on his clothes, Tertia just smiled brightly and gratefully shared the small meal with him.

* * *

XXVII.

* * *

A new Famiglia soon found them and took them in.

They were given a roof above their heads and beds that were warmer and softer than anything they had touched in this life.

Tertia enjoyed the few moments of reprieve this Famiglia offered them.

* * *

XXVIII.

* * *

It did not take them long to try forcing Tertia into Harmonization.

 _None of them survived that night._

* * *

XXIX.

* * *

Every action was followed by a reaction.

Tertia should have known that all of their actions would have a price.

* * *

XXX.

* * *

The Vindice hunted them down. Four times they managed to escape the Mafia police. The fifth time Mukuro made sure that Tertia wasn't caught alongside him.

His illusions hid her so thoroughly that no one even remembered her presence.

Not even she herself could fight off the bindings he had wrapped around her. Tertia could only watch in silent desperation how her only companion was dragged away from her...

...

... _into another prison._

* * *

XXXI.

* * *

Supposedly, absence made the heart grow fonder.

Tertia found out how true this saying was during the first night she had to spent alone in _years._ It was then that she realized how much she missed having Mukuro at her side and how much she had actually come to _love_ that boy.

Rokudo Mukuro wasn't just a fellow prisoner. He was her only friend, her Mist and kindred spirit and Tertia did not think that she could survive this life without him.

* * *

XXXII.

* * *

To protect herself, Tertia hid her Flames as securely as she could.

She wore clothes that allowed her to disappear in the crowd and made sure to stay out of trouble.

All the while, she planned the prison breakout of her Mist.

* * *

XXXIII.

* * *

Although living on the streets was preferable to being trapped inside a dungeon, it still wasn't easy. Some nights Tertia was forced to go to sleep with a completely empty stomach, other nights she could not even do that because of the other urchins that were chasing her.

By the time she managed to get away from them, it was already light outside and she had to try out her luck with the different fruit stalls.

The girl got weaker each day.

* * *

XXXIV.

* * *

Something changed during his time in the prison.

One day a stranger joined their bond. Tertia had no idea who it was or where that person came from. The only thing she knew was that she suddenly had _two_ Mists.

* * *

XXXV.

* * *

As it turned out, she did not have to help Mukuro too much.

The presence of her own Flames seemed to be enough to strengthen his resolve, so that by the time she came near the prison entrance, the boy was already there.

He waited for her with a small army of minions and brightly flaring Flames.

* * *

XXXVI.

* * *

They fled to Japan.

It was there that Mukuro introduced Tertia to her second Mist.

* * *

XXXV.

* * *

Akiyama Nagi was a shy girl with Mist Flames powerful enough to bond with both Tertia and Mukuro. She was the heiress to a big candy company.

The Japanese girl opened her home to two strangers. Only Tertia stayed.

* * *

XXXVI.

* * *

Mukuro sometimes scared her.

His drive to protect Nagi and her was so strong that he completely disregarded his own safety. That he left one night with the mission to destroy the whole Mafia, not even bothering to write a note.

When they found out, Nagi cried and Tertia felt like doing the same.

 _She did not._

* * *

XXXVII.

* * *

Nagi used her Flames to get Tertia signed up at her school.

Unsurprisingly, the Sky did not fit in.

* * *

XXXVIII.

* * *

''Could you pass me the cornflakes, Tertia-sama?'' Nagi pointed at the box next to her Sky's bowl.

Tertia grimaced slightly guiltily and picked the empty box up. She knew how much her Mist liked those cornflakes but there hadn't been anything else to eat in the house, so she had followed her normal lifestyle and taken what she could. Now, as she saw the disappointment in the younger girl's eyes, Tertia actually regretted her actions. ''I might have eaten the last of it. Sorry?''

* * *

XXXIX.

* * *

It was a normal school day. Tertia was sitting in her math class and trying to not fall asleep due to the droning voice of her teacher.

When there were only ten minutes left, she could suddenly feel Nagi moving in her direction.

The younger girl ripped the door of her classroom open, her hair windblown and eyes distressed. What she said next froze the blood in Tertia's veins. ''They caught him. The Vindice caught Mukuro-sama.''

* * *

XL.

* * *

''We will get him out of there, Nagi, I _promise.''_

* * *

XLI.

* * *

For her fifteenth birthday Nagi baked her a cake. It was a small and dry thing with a too sweet cream on the inside. The fruits on top were falling down on the sides and Tertia hated the pineapples in the middle.

All this was triumphed by the fact that this was the first gift she had received in this life.

Smiling, Tertia forced the awfully tasting cake into her mouth and uttered a grateful and earnest thank you after she ate he whole thing.

(...Never before had Nagi seen such a beautiful and _heartbreaking_ smile...)

* * *

XLII.

* * *

 _Reborn._

She had heard of the man during her time with the Estraneo Famiglia. The scientists liked theorizing about his Sun Flames and their strength. The greed in their eyes was especially obvious when they talked about him and his fellow Arcobaleno.

One thing Tertia learned because of their stories about the hitman was that she, no matter what, did not want to anger the other Flame user. His anger was to be avoided and his wrath to be feared. No one who crossed him survived.

What the seemingly teenage girl did not expect was the pull of this Sun and how much she would want him to be _hers._

* * *

XLIII.

* * *

''Umm, is there anything I could do for you?'' Nagi questioned the small infant that stood on her doorstep. She bit her lip nervously and tilted her head to look inside the living room at her Sky.

Tertia's pinkish eyes were narrowed and she was moving in her direction. The older girl's auburn hair bounced with each of her steps and as she reached Nagi's side, the teen easily slid between herself and their intruder. ''What do you want?''

* * *

XLIV.

* * *

The Arcobaleno's Flames were almost palpable at such a close proximity. Warm and inviting, that's how Tertia would describe them.

This was quite the shocking revelation. Until now, only her Mists had ever managed to garner her attention. All the other Flame users were just nuisances she wanted gone.

She had heard of the Arcobaleno and their appeal before, of course, but she had never believed that this appeal could be so strong.

 _Tertia wanted to have him._

''I have a proposition for Akiyama-san.'' The hitman answered her question smoothly, looking over her shoulder at the aforementioned girl. ''Should you choose to help out my charge, then you would be gifted with the one thing every Element desires.''

Had he just dismissed her?

Tertia bristled at that thought and at the implications the fake infant was making. Nagi and Mukuro were _hers,_ they did not need a new _Sky._ As if to prove a point, her Flames flared up instinctively, escaping the cage she had created for them.

Their Flames brushed against each other and as the Sky and the Sun met a bond snapped inadvertently into place.

 _''Oh.''_

* * *

XLV.

* * *

Reborn had not expected to come across a Sky strong enough to pull him in at a moment's notice that night. He had not expected to look at said Sky and to dismiss her at the first glance.

In his defense though, there were way more important things to do than to entertain a nameless girl who without her connection to the infamous Rokudo Mukuro could have passed off as a weak civilian. Besides, he had still kept an eye on her and could have shot her should she have made one wrong move.

One did not survive the Mafia by completely dismissing the seemingly harmless, Reborn had learned that lesson the hard way.

That did not mean that he had expected the girl to be one of the strongest Skies he had ever met, capable of attracting even him. Luce was the only other Sky who had had the ability to do just that, but woman had already had a complete set of Guardians which meant that none of the Arcobaleno had harmonized with her.

After Aria and Yuni turned out weaker to be weaker than their predecessor, Reborn had given up on the notion of ever finding a Sky for himself. The hitman had actually preferred it that way.

In the Mafia there was no place for weakness and there was no weakness that could quite compare to the bond between an Element and their Sky.

Reborn had _not_ asked for this and he certainly had not wanted to be tied down by a teenager.

Dame-Tsuna, this was all Dame-Tsuna's fault.

''Well,'' Reborn begun after taking a few seconds to enjoy the _harmony_ and _rightness_ he felt because of this newly formed bond. He had heard many things about Harmonization, but none of them seemed adequate enough to describe what he was currently feeling. It was as if after years of searching for it, he had finally found his _home._ ''This changes things.''

''It does, doesn't it?'' The girl - _his Sky -_ tilted her head curiously to the side as she knelt and looked into Reborn's eyes. There was nothing patronizing about that action. ''I'm Tertia, it's a pleasure to meet you.''

(...later, he would think properly about the implications of her connection with Rokudo Mukuro and her name, put one and one together and curse the fact that the Estraneo Famiglia was already dead...)

''Reborn. May I?'' He pointed inside the apartment.

His Sky did not hesitate before nodding her head and inviting him into her home. She just smiled a small smile and stood up to lead him inside the living room. ''I hope that you realize that although this Harmonization changes things, it won't change the fact that both Mukuro and Nagi are _mine._ I won't share them with the Vongola Decimo.''

The Sun Arcobaleno nodded his head in understanding. ''Though you're not adverse to negotiations.''

''No.'' The girl sat down on the couch and what he now knew to be her Mist settled down next to her. ''I'm sure neither Nagi nor Mukuro would have anything against fighting for your charge in exchange for Mukuro's freedom. The Vongola Famiglia should have enough power to negotiate with the Vindice.''

He had expected something along those lines. ''I would have to speak with Nono first.''

Tertia smiled pleasantly. ''Of course.''

* * *

XLVI.

* * *

Reborn was reluctant to leave the two girls, _his Sky and fellow Guardian._

They might have been very strong Flame users, but he doubted that either of them had any formal training.

His priorities in life were always very easily defined and it wasn't any different this time around, so after going outside to call the current Don Vongola, Reborn easily climbed onto the balcony of the Akiyama home.

That was only the first night he spent there.

* * *

XLVII.

* * *

''You can come inside, you know.'' He had felt her presence behind him, had known that this would be something she would say to him. Considering that she had left the balcony open for the last few days, the verbal invitation wasn't truly needed. ''I know that you didn't plan to Harmonize with me, perhaps you do not even want it now that it has happened, so I won't pressure you to do anything. But I need you to understand that this isn't easy for me either.''

She swallowed heavily. ''There is a reason why I have only harmonized with Mukuro and Nagi until now.''

Reborn turned around and their gazes met. The age-old weariness he saw inside his Sky's rosy orbs stopped him from questioning her.

* * *

XLVIII.

* * *

 _The next day he joined them in the apartment for dinner._

* * *

XLIX.

* * *

''I don't know you and I don't trust you, but I _will_ protect you.''

Tertia's lips tilted upwards. ''That's alright, I don't trust you either.''


	3. Unraveled

**Alright, this ended up being way longer than I previously planned and with way longer I mean about 4k words.**

 **Skull has always been a favorite of mine and I especially enjoy stories where he is more than just some idiot. After some contemplation, I decided to try my hand at my own Skull-centric story. I wanted it to deal with his origins as well as an 'What-if' situation.**

 **I'm not certain if I'm completely happy with the results, but I do hope that you will enjoy this one-shot. I've tried to not add to many OCs to it as well as not making it either too long or too short.**

 **If you squint a little, you might find some hints of some Skull/Reborn here. Only a little though, I promise.**

 **Please leave a review.**

 **Summary: He never wanted to be a Sky. (Or: A detailed retelling of Skull's journey from an urchin on the Streets of Ukraine to an essential member of the last Arcobaleno.)**

 **Have fun.**

* * *

 _Unraveled_

* * *

 _mask (n.) a covering for all or part of the face, worn as a disguise, or to amuse or frighten others_

* * *

I.

* * *

It started like this:

They were in the park, climbing on the lower branches of a rather old oak tree. Cherep was laughing at something his brother had said when he felt one of the branches giving in underneath him.

The wood splintered and the six-years-old fell. His head collided painfully with the ground, skull shattering.

 _A mix of orange and purple flames enveloped his body._

He was running again only a few minutes later.

* * *

II.

* * *

Cherep was an orphan. This was not an unusual title only a decade after World War II.

He grew up in an Orphanage in Ukraine alongside his four years older brother.

Theirs was not an easy childhood.

* * *

III.

* * *

Even at a young age, the purple haired boy seemed to draw people towards himself. They found him to be charismatic and soothing and more often than not tried wining his favor.

When he still lived in the orphanage, that wasn't a bad thing. Cherep always got the biggest portions during dinner and rarely had to want for anything. If treats were available, he was the first one to receive them.

Almost unfairly, the orphanage patrons seemed to adore him.

This was just the beginning of his problems.

* * *

IV.

* * *

''Don't be silly, Cherep. You do remember what happened the last time you climbed a tree, don't you?'' asked his brother, his eyes narrowed slightly and mouth twitching in displeasure.

''That was an accident. It won't happen again,'' Cherep tried to assure. His palms were starting to sweat due to the look the other boy sent his way.

''No.'' Those words left no place for arguing. ''The matron has called us for dinner, so just come.''

Cherep hated how overprotective his brother could sometimes be.

Years later, he would come to realize that this was what being a Cloud Guardian meant.

* * *

V.

* * *

Viktor, his brother and only living family, had always been at Cherep's side.

When a young couple came to the orphanage with the intention to change that, the brothers rebelled loudly against it.

* * *

VI.

* * *

At the end, they had no other choice but to leave.

It was either that or being separated.

* * *

VII.

* * *

At nine and thirteen the two boys escaped onto the streets of Ukraine.

Back then they did not realize that being separated from each other wasn't the worst thing that could actually happen to them.

* * *

VIII.

* * *

Coldness. Fear. Hunger.

Those were only a few of the things they were forced to suffer through.

* * *

IX.

* * *

The streets were full of children like them; urchins who had no home and would do anything to survive. They formed small gangs and stole both food and money from unsuspecting citizens.

Within three weeks a new gang formed all around Cherep.

* * *

X.

* * *

There were six of them; five boys and one girl.

Together they learned to survive without the support of an adult and for a while they even managed to _live._

* * *

XI.

* * *

''I can distract the vendor,'' said Irina, twirling a strand of her blonde hair around a finger. Alongside Cherep, she was the youngest member of their small group as well as the most spirited one.

There was a skeptical look in Viktor's eyes as he turned his gaze towards the girl. ''You do realize you will have to get him away from the stand for more than just a few seconds.''

The smile that slowly stretched across her face was positively demonic.

* * *

XII.

* * *

At the end, Irina picked a fight with a member of another gang and pushed him into the fruit vendor's stand, knocking over a crate full of apples in the process. Then she grabbed two of the rolling fruits from the ground and ran down the crowded sidewalk.

Quickly snapping out of their stunned stupor, the remaining five members of their gang moved out from their hiding place and grabbed as many of the fruits as they could. The vendor shouted loudly when he saw them, but they were already sprinting away by the time he moved in their direction.

That day was a good and prosperous one.

Such days were a rarity.

* * *

XIII.

* * *

 _Irina was the first one of them to die._

* * *

XIV.

* * *

Winter was a harsh and dangerous season.

It stole two of their members from them.

* * *

XV.

* * *

The coughs were the first indication. Then came the nausea and the headaches.

It was the fever that finally took Irina and Ivan from them.

* * *

XVI.

* * *

They cried. They mourned.

At the end, they had no other choice but to move on.

* * *

XVII.

* * *

When they were younger, only a few weeks after that fateful day during which Cherep was supposed to die for the first time, a bond was formed between the two brothers.

It happened over time and yet it felt as if it had always been there.

Cherep and Viktor weren't just brothers. They were each others best friends and only family.

And most importantly, the two boys were each others _home._

* * *

XVIII.

* * *

People always noticed him. Cherep could not go anywhere without capturing everyone's attention.

That was rarely a good thing.

* * *

XIX.

* * *

''One day, we're all gonna be happy,'' said Viktor, his swollen eye squinting in Cherep's direction. They had gotten into a fight with another gang about their territories.

The only consolation Cherep had was that no matter how bad their small group looked, Viktor had made sure that their enemies suffered twice as much.

The purple haired boy did not think that he had ever seen his brother as angry as he was the moment they realized that the other children had broached upon their turf.

Vicious was not a strong enough word to describe Viktor's following actions.

Tilting his head to the side, Cherep took a hold of the other boy's hand. ''I'm happy now.''

 _They both knew that was lie._

* * *

XX.

* * *

 _Unknown men started following him._

* * *

XXI.

* * *

The boys knew about the _mafia._ Everyone in their position did.

Thus, they knew that the men following them belonged to a criminal organization. The tattoos adorning their bodies told them as much.

* * *

XXII.

* * *

They always managed to get away from their pursuers...

...

...until one day they _didn't._

* * *

XXIII.

* * *

Cherep was thirteen years old when two man managed to successfully kidnap him.

He was also thirteen years old when he watched his brother die in his stead.

* * *

XXIV.

* * *

''Shut the fuck up, brat,'' hissed the man that had dragged him away from the lively streets just moments ago as he slammed Cherep against the brick wall of the alley. Vaguely, the boy registered that such situations seemed to be occurring more and more often.

Struggling against the harsh grip, Cherep rasped, ''Let go of me, you fucker.''

The insult would have made his brother proud, the boy knew this with a very clear certainty.

''You hear him, Yaroslav?'' His attacker laughed. ''He's telling me to let go of him.''

Cherep could see the mirth in the other man's eyes. Could see the exact moment that emotion changed into shock.

There wasn't enough time for the boy to register anything else. A violet blur slammed into the man who was holding him and a crack he nowadays associated with the breaking of bones followed.

The sound of a gun being fired reached Cherep's ears afterwards and tilted the axis of his entire world.

* * *

XXV.

* * *

His ears rang loudly and for an eternally long moment Cherep could not hear a thing.

With bile in his mouth and a painfully constricting heart, he turned to look at his brother.

The sight that greeted him would haunt his nightmares for many more years.

* * *

XXVI.

* * *

Blood dripped from the corners of Viktor's mouth as he pressed a hand against his wounded ribs and whispered, ''You need to leave Cherep. _I_ need you to leave and _live.''_

Live? Cherep wondered how he could do that ever again after this. After seeing his brother's eyes glaze with death and feeling something _vital_ snap within his chest.

It was akin to loosing a limb or an organ, while at the same time being thousand times worse.

A trembling hand was raised towards his chest, blunt nails scratching at the skin just over his heart.

(...Cherep never noticed the screams tearing out of his throat...

...

...and as his fingers dug themselves deeper and deeper into his own chest, trying to claw the pain out of it...

...

...

...the world exploded into a violent storm of orange _Flames...)_

* * *

XXVII.

* * *

 _After that day, the orange color disappeared completely from among his Flames._

* * *

XXVIII.

* * *

Cherep wandered the streets of his hometown for days, without even pausing for a second.

He did not drink, he did not eat, and he did not sleep.

That was just the beginning of everything.

* * *

XXIX.

* * *

A part of him knew that he should have returned to the remaining members of his small family. He knew that this wasn't what Viktor meant when he told him to _live._

Cherep could not bring himself to care.

Aside from the hollow feeling his brother had left within him, the orphan did not care about anything.

* * *

XXX.

* * *

Mykyta first saw the boy when he was taking care of some errands for his boss. He had just parked his motorcycle and looked up from the machine when he saw the young lad stumbling down the street opposite of him.

The child was a sorry sight.

Dressed in dirty rags and pale as a ghost, he did not even seem to see the world around him.

(...that day, Mykyta had yet to realize that this boy would change his entire life...)

That child wasn't the first homeless orphan the man had ever seen and he did not seem to be in the worst physical state either.

Though, that was the point. While the boy was physically at his peak, he did not seem to be doing mentally all to well.

It would be many years later that Mykyta would realize how much of an understatement that actually was.

* * *

XXXI.

* * *

The second time Mykyta saw the strange child was while he was strolling trough the market. He was just about to buy some peaches when a loud commotion caught his attention.

An unknown man was shouting loud obscenities, one of his hands gripping the purple haired boy's shoulder tightly while the other one pointed at a sandwich on the ground.

Somehow, making a decision turned out to be easier than Mykyta ever expected.

* * *

XXXII.

* * *

He stopped the man from shacking the poor child by taking a hold of his shoulder. The action seemed to surprise the other adult to such an extent that he actually looked up at Mykyta and stared at him with wide eyes for a moment. ''What do you want?''

Mykyta tilted his head to the side and regarded the stranger rather disdainfully. ''For you to let go of the boy. He clearly has no money to pay you back.''

''Then he should have watched where he was going,'' uttered the man while scowl developed on his face.

Rolling his eyes in annoyance, Mykyta reached inside his jacket and pulled out a few coins. ''That should cover it. Now, once again, let the child go.''

With a sneer on his face, the stranger took the money from Mykyta and then pushed the boy into the stuntman's legs. He turned and left before the circus member could comment on his rudeness.

The sky was rather cloudy when Mykyta looked up at it as if to ask some higher deity about what he had done to deserve such a treatment. As no one actually deigned to answer his silent question, the man decided to look down again and regard what he the about twelve-year-old he had chosen to take under his wing. ''Now, what the hell am I gonna do with you?''

* * *

XXXIII.

* * *

It turned out that he could nothing but take the boy home with him. The whole thing should have been way harder to complete than it actually was as Mykyta was essentially kidnapping a child.

Regrettably, no one actually seemed to care about what would happen to an unknown orphan and neither did the child himself. He showed no resistance when Mykyta took a hold of his hand and started walking him towards his motorcycle.

The drive home was a nerve-wrecking one. Mykyta constantly had to fear that the young fellow would just listlessly slide of his motorcycle in the middle of the road. Some deity seemed to take pity on him though, because the child stayed glued to the seat.

Their arrival at the circus did not attract too much attention as most performers were busy with preparing themselves for their upcoming departure.

Gently, Mykyta picked the boy up into his arms and carried him towards the travel trailer that was his home.

There he sat him down at his small kitchenette table and put a glass of water and some cookies in front of him.

 _None of this prompted a reaction from the child._

* * *

XXXIV.

* * *

It took him three weeks to get just a name out of the kid. More than once the thought that his new roommate wasn't mentally sound had crossed the man's mind, so he ended up being actually surprised when one morning during breakfast an unfamiliar voice uttered one word. ''Cherep.''

Mykyta needed a few minutes to put one and one together and realize that the boy wasn't speaking about some skull but telling him his name.

The small progress made him smile. ''It's nice to meet you, Cherep.''

* * *

XXXV.

* * *

Cherep did everything he told him to do with a mechanic listlessness that _frightened_ Mykyta. His violet eyes were _dead,_ as if they had seen the worst the world had to offer and could not survive that strain.

It were mostly those eyes as well as the boy's behavior that made Mykyta constantly question what had _happened_ to the child.

* * *

XXXVI.

* * *

They traveled through Romania, Hungary and Austria and Mykyta did his best to show the young fellow only the good sides of each country. He directed him through street markets and pointed out the most marvelous of landscapes.

Nothing managed to bring Cherep out of his shell.

* * *

XXXVII.

* * *

''You should try some of the soup. It's Yu's specialty,'' said Mykyta kindly as he prepared a table for himself and Cherep.

He was not surprised to see the boy doing just as he was asked to only a few minutes later, the expression on his face not even changing a bit once the rich flavor of the soup hit his tongue.

* * *

XXXVIII.

* * *

Once one of his fellow circus members asked him why he was ' _wasting_ his time on such a _retard'._

Mykyta _relished_ breaking the man's nose.

* * *

XXXIX.

* * *

A change occurred when they reached Slovenia.

It was there that Cherep witnessed one of his performances for the first time.

* * *

XL.

* * *

 _Purple eyes alight with curiosity. Mouth agape and showing a row of white teeth._

 _It was a sight Mykyta would never forget._

* * *

XLI.

* * *

 _''Can you teach me?''_

* * *

XLII.

* * *

The second thing Cherep ever said to him was a raspy request.

Mykyta did not think that he could have denied it even if he had wanted to.

* * *

XLIII.

* * *

Teaching someone how to be a stuntman wasn't easy. Teaching a child was in some ways even harder.

* * *

XLIV.

* * *

Cherep had never seen something as intriguing as Mykyta during one of his shows. The man seemed to be flying through the air with a careless abandon as if nothing but himself and the machine underneath him existed.

The Cloud wanted that for himself. Even if just for an infinitely short moment, Cherep wanted to _forget everything._

* * *

XLV.

* * *

At first Mykyta send him to the acrobatics lessons. He told Cherep that he needed to train his body until it was strong enough to carry the burden of being a stuntman.

That was a disappointment that racked Cherep more than anything else had in _months,_ and yet the promise of freedom the future held stopped him from uttering the smallest complain.

* * *

XLVI.

* * *

Cherep trained.

He trained and some days that might have been the only thing he would have done if it were not for his caretakers interference.

Mykyta took care of him and as the years passed, Cherep's heart started piecing itself together.

* * *

XLVII.

* * *

 _None of his training injuries lasted for more than an hour._

* * *

XLVIII.

* * *

On his fifteenth birthday, Cherep was allowed to ride Mykyta's motorbike for the first time.

He was excited and too eager when he started the engine, so it wasn't shocking at all when he immediately caused an accident.

* * *

XLIX.

* * *

By now, seeing his injuries knitting themselves back together was not a shocking sight.

Mykyta's expression indicated that it should have been.

* * *

L.

* * *

Hidden underneath a too large jacket, Cherep was carried towards his living quarters.

Inside, Mykyta forbid him ever showing anyone what he could do.

* * *

LI.

* * *

 _He had never felt as alive as he had while speeding down the street on Mykyta's motorcycle._

* * *

LII.

* * *

Once it was proven that Cherep did not suffer any trauma due to his impromptu accident, Mykyta started properly teaching him his profession.

It was during one late evening that the middle aged man taught him his most important lesson.

 _''You've gotta smile, Cherep, be a showman, otherwise the people won't like you.''_

* * *

LIII.

* * *

Later that night, Cherep stood in front of the mirror, training the unused muscles of his face.

He smiled and laughed as many times as it was necessary for the expressions to appear at least somewhat genuine.

* * *

LIV.

* * *

In the following years, Cherep created his stage persona.

He decided to name him Skull de Mort.

* * *

LV.

* * *

The years passed in a blur and Cherep started gradually taking over his aging mentor's shows as _Skull de Mort_ , _The Immortal Stuntman._

* * *

LVI.

* * *

Somewhere along the line, being _Skull_ became easier and _Cherep_ practically ceased to exist.

* * *

LVII.

* * *

 _He never stopped missing his brother._

* * *

LVIII.

* * *

''Welcome the great Skull de Mort,'' the moderator paused dramatically. ''The man hated by the grim reaper himself!''

High on the ramp, _Skull_ came into view, his face painted a deathly white with purple accents. He waved his hands in a exaggerated manner and blew some kissed towards the audience.

Carelessly, he stumbled towards the edge of the ramp, barely catching himself at the last second.

Moments later, he was speeding down the ramp and jumping into the air. A handstand on the seat of the motorcycle and a back-flip later, the stuntman landed safely on the ground.

Hidden among the audience, Mykyta watched the teen that was like a son to him with sad eyes and wondered when the last time Cherep had been true to himself actually was.

* * *

LIX.

* * *

 _The difference between Skull and Cherep was truly jarring._

* * *

LX.

* * *

Skull soon becoming an international sensation was no surprise.

The fact that his fame came at the price losing himself more and more in the persona he had created was just an unfortunate side effect.

* * *

LXI.

* * *

 _(...The Mafia never did leave him alone..._

 _..._

 _...it was a fortunate thing that_ Skull _had nothing against getting rid of them..._

 _..._

 _..._

 _...he did so even with a wide_ smile _on his face...)_

* * *

LXII.

* * *

With his fame came a man wearing an iron hat and a dangerous proposition.

* * *

LXIII.

* * *

 _I Prescelti Sette_

* * *

LXIV.

* * *

Contrary to what would once be a popular belief, Skull was _not_ stupid. He knew that whatever the stranger was telling him could not be the truth.

Kawahira was not even trying to hide the trap he was setting for the supposed _'Chosen Seven'._ The man tried to entice him with titles such 'The World's Strongest Cloud', not even realizing that such a title held no meaning to him.

Still, Skull's interest was awakened.

For all that the stranger's promises did not interest the stuntman, his knowledge did the exact opposite.

Kawahira clearly knew _what_ Skull was. He knew of the flames that made him practically immortal and that was something the young adult always wanted to learn more about.

The fact that this stranger clearly wanted to harm him wasn't enough to actually stop Skull from accepting his proposition.

After all, what could Kawahira do to him that Skull already hadn't done to himself?

* * *

LXV.

* * *

 _Cherep needed to know what exactly his brother had died for._

* * *

LXVI.

* * *

''You need to stop this, Cherep,'' uttered Mykyta as he watched the other stuntman apply his daily makeup.

The younger man looked at him with hooded eyes, a mocking grin stretched upon his purple lips. ''Don't worry, I'll get out of your hair soon.''

Taken aback, Mykyta narrowed his eyes. ''First, changing the topic won't make the problem disappear. Second, what _exactly_ do you mean?''

''I've received a very enticing job offer. It's...well-payed and rather intriguing.'' He paused. ''I'll be leaving in two weeks.''

''You'll be leaving? Just like that?'' the older man questioned disbelievingly.

Skull blinked. ''Yes.''

''And you think that's normal or even just the slightest bit alright?'' Anger slowly colored his voice.

''I'm not a child anymore and neither have you ever been my legal guardian, so I don't really need your permission,'' explained the young adult calmly, his eyes flickering discretely over Mykyta's form.

(...he ignored the guilt blooming within his chest expertly...

...

...Skull had known that he would have to leave the circus soon to get away from Mykyta and the man in the iron hat had offered him the perfect excuse...

...

...

...the Cloud just could not risk staying at the other man's side for much longer...

...

...

...not with the emotional power Mykyta actually held over him...

...

...not when he was the only person in the world that could still steer him away from his chosen path...)

''I see,'' was the bitter reply Skull received. He knew that this wasn't the end of their conversation, just as he knew that he could not let himself be swayed by his guardian's words.

* * *

LXVII.

* * *

He performed his last show in Austria.

Had he known that this would be his last show decades, then Skull might have taken some time to reconsider his decision.

* * *

LXVIII.

* * *

Italy was the country where he was to receive further instructions.

It was also where the axis of his entire world shifted once again.

* * *

LXIX.

* * *

They met in a mansion in the middle of nowhere. A group of the supposedly most powerful people in the world.

Skull could _feel_ them calling out to him before he even came into the vicinity of the giant mansion.

It was like nothing he had ever felt before. There were times, of course, when he had felt a certain _tug_ on his soul, but it never managed to actually be _worthy._

 _(...there had been one person who had been worthy before..._

 _..._

 _...the same person died for him more than a decade ago...)_

Skull was forced to stop his motorcycle or he might have caused an accident otherwise. His hands trembled terribly as something he had thought to be dead awakened within his chest.

Sparks of orange danced across his fingers and a strangled cry escaped the stuntman as he tried to force them away.

A few minutes passed until he managed to smoother them with his purple soulfire.

* * *

LXX.

* * *

It turned out that he was the last one to arrive at the meeting place. The others were already gathered around a large mahogany table in what had to be the living room.

Breath hitching, Skull felt the mask upon his face slowly slipping away. The _calling_ was impossibly intense in such a close vicinity and seemed to spur the fiery monster within his chest. It clawed at his insides, trying to force its freedom.

With a great effort he trapped the orange flames within himself and rearranged the mask upon his face.

Smile back in place, Skull announced his presence grandly, ''The great Skull de Mort has finally arrived. Bow before his greatness!''

Hiding his true feelings behind the persona of a bumbling idiot was by now a very familiar action. If this made everyone underestimate and dislike him, then Skull just saw it as a pleasant benefit.

After all, it kept them from getting too close to him and seeing _who_ Skull truly was.

* * *

LXXI.

* * *

 _Reborn. Fon. Viper. Verde. Lal._

 _(...his entire world...)_

* * *

LXXII.

* * *

''A civilian?'' asked Reborn after Skull introduced himself as 'The World's Greatest Stuntman'. The disbelieve in his voice was loud and clear. ''Are you joking?''

Irritated, Skull watched the Italian's gaze move to the woman who was meant to be their leader. It might have been irrational, but the stuntman felt rather threatened each time the other's attention moved towards Luce.

That was not where his gaze was meant to be.

Prompted by his instincts, Skull flailed his arms in all directions to regain the other man's attention. ''Don't dismiss the fantastic Skull, the Man whom even the grim reaper fears!''

''The grim reaper, huh?'' Reborn pointed his gun at the purplehead. ''You sure of that?''

Before Skull could utter a reply, the Sun fired his gun. The shot echoed loudly throughout the room and managed to graze his cheek. Had Skull not jumped out of the way, then the bullet would have gone straight through his head.

''What the...,'' uttered Skull quietly and was quickly interrupted by Luce. ''That's enough, Reborn. Skull may be a civilian, but he is also a _Cloud.''_

That actually seemed to make the hitman pause for a moment. His eyes narrowed ever so slightly and moved towards the wound on the biker's cheek.

 _Only blood remained where an injury had once been._

* * *

LXXIII.

* * *

They were more accepting of his presence afterwards, but they still did not trust him to do anything more important than driving the escape vehicle.

Fortunately, that was something Skull had long since down to an art form.

* * *

LXXIV.

* * *

The missions became bloodier with each passing day. It was clear that his teammates expected him to falter due to this very fact.

They were surprised to see him go on without an ounce of hesitation.

(...Cherep had witnessed the cruelty of this world...

...

...and he knew better than most that sometimes _violence_ was the only possible answer...)

* * *

LXXV.

* * *

It took him a few weeks and some well-placed bribes to find out more about this new world he had found himself in.

Viper turned out to be a very good source when offered the right amount of money.

* * *

LXXVI.

* * *

 _A Sky, he was a Sky._

* * *

LXXVII.

* * *

He didn't know when exactly it happened, but someday Reborn started calling him 'lackey'.

* * *

LXXVIII.

* * *

Informants could rarely be fully trusted, that was a lesson Skull was forced to learn very quickly.

* * *

LXXIX.

* * *

''Something's wrong,'' murmured Skull as he watched the entrance to their current target's home. The oak doors were closed, keeping the sound inside from reaching either Skull or Verde. ''They should be finished by now, the Great Skull-sama is sure.''

Verde snorted disdainfully. ''There's nothing we can do. If they're in trouble, then they have to get out of it by themselves.''

Silence followed that statement and Skull contemplated what he should do.

 _(...there was only ever really one option...)_

The supposed Cloud unbuckled his belt. ''I'm going in. It's obvious that they need this Great One's saving.''

Something akin to a laugh escaped Verde's lips. ''Do whatever makes you happy. Should you die, I'll make sure to study your body thoroughly.''

Childishly, Skull stuck out his tongue towards him.

* * *

LXXX.

* * *

The whole scene changed the moment the stuntman entered the mansion. Shouts and the loud sound of guns being fired overwhelmed him for a second and it took him an eternally long moment to figure out what was actually going on.

A _Mist,_ a Mist must have been cloaking the mansion from the outside to keep any reinforcement from arriving.

These were worrying news for two reasons. One, their informant had not told them about this threat, which meant that he either he had betrayed and led them into a trap or he had not known about it. Second, for a Mist to successfully cloud their senses Viper had to have been taken _down._

 _(...something angry flared within his chest...)_

A bullet embedding itself within his shoulder jarred Skull out of his thoughts. Purple Flames flared angrily all around him and before anyone truly knew what was happening, a Cloud had already entered the fray.

* * *

LXXXI.

* * *

Reborn was a very rational man, capable of controlling himself and his emotions in any given situation.

And yet, all this rationality seemed to disappear when Skull de Mort got involved. The other man irritated him in such measures that Reborn actually felt the need to throttle the idiot until...until...well, until _something._

He didn't even really know what truly bothered him so much about the Cloud. Sure, he was a civilian and had no true place in mafia, but that still did not illuminate Reborn's irrational urges towards his teammate.

The best explanation the Sun got was that there just seemed to be something out of his _grasp._

And no, not even he himself knew what that was actually supposed to mean.

Still, there were a few things Reborn had come to realize about the supposed immortal in the last few weeks of them working to together, the most important of them being that he could never afford to underestimate the other man.

 _After all, it took a very_ special _kind of person to be capable of killing a man with their bare hands and giant grin on their face._

* * *

LXXXII.

* * *

They all came out of the whole ordeal with slightly bruised egos and some scratches on their bodies.

Even Viper ended up being no further injured than a slight concussion due to a hard hit to the back of their head.

The contentment that filled Skull due to those facts scared the man witless.

* * *

LXXXIII.

* * *

 _He was getting attached._

* * *

LXXXIV.

* * *

Luce believed in the concept of team bonding. That was why she forced their whole group to partake in weekly meals.

Together, they all sat at the huge mahogany table in the living room at least once a week, eating and bickering all the while.

More often than not those meals ended in an argument or a one-sided fight between Skull and Reborn.

Though to be fair, the stuntman was rarely completely without a fault. He baited Reborn with his actions - just last week he had exchanged all the sugar in the mansion with salt, thus destroying the one thing Reborn religiously enjoyed in the morning - waiting for the upcoming reaction with a giddy feeling in his stomach and a bitter taste in his mouth.

(...he had to have their _attention..._

...

...it needed to be on him all of the time, never straying to _another_ viable candidate...

...

...

...whether this attention was positive or negative did not matter at the end. As long as Skull was the sole center of their universe, nothing mattered...)

* * *

LXXXV.

* * *

Skull liked spending some quiet evenings with Fon. The Chinese man was the calmest member of their group, while at the same time being the one with most dangerous temper.

There was almost nothing in the world that could transform the Triad member into the raging _Storm_ that he really was, but when such an event actually occurred, there was nothing anyone could but run for cover.

That was something both men shared with each other.

 _Within each of their souls a_ monster _lurked, just waiting to be unleashed on the poor and unsuspecting world_ _._

* * *

LXXXVI.

* * *

''Nee, Fon, you think you could teach Skull some of your awesome karate?'' questioned the purple haired male.

Blinking serenely, Fon took a sip of his tea. ''It's not karate.''

''Not-karate would be fine as well.'' The purplehead grinned.

This time, the expression on the martial artist's conveyed exactly what he thought about Skull's intelligence. ''I shouldn't teach you anything alone for the disrespect you show towards my profession.''

Still, he did the exact opposite. Once a week, Fon started giving the other man some basic self-defense lessons.

(...no teammate of his was allowed to be _weak...)_

* * *

LXXXVII.

* * *

Many more missions followed.

* * *

LXXXVIII.

* * *

They all fell into a routine.

Living in house with what most would consider to be strangers should not have been as easy as it was, especially when one considered that they were all practically professional killers.

And yet, there was a certain camaraderie in all of their interactions that none of them could ignore.

That, of course, did not stop them from being paranoid bastards, but the feeling in and of itself was rather nice.

* * *

LXXXIX.

* * *

Each and every single one of them had their own quirks and lines that could not be crossed around them.

Skull learned and studied them all religiously.

* * *

XC.

* * *

He neither liked nor disliked Luce. It was just that something about the woman seemed to rub him the wrong way.

Perhaps it was that she was the only _bound_ member of their team. Or it might have also been the way she so carelessly endangered her unborn child's life. Maybe it was even just jealousy for everything the other Sky had and Skull never would.

Still, whatever the reason was, the showman did _not_ trust Luce.

She was an unknown danger, one Skull was certain would one day prove detrimental.

* * *

XCI.

* * *

 _''Your place will never be at another Sky's side.''_

* * *

XCII.

* * *

''You know that it's the state of your Flames that prompts most of their action, don't you?'' Luce asked one late evening as they sat alone on the couch inside the living room.

Skull hummed, his answer neither a denial nor agreement.

''They will always feel drawn to you, while at the same time constantly feeling something akin to rejection.'' The woman paused thoughtfully. ''It's not comparable to a full blown Sky rejection, but still rather damaging in the great scale of things.''

His smile resembled a grimace. ''It's a good thing then that I'm not a Sky.''

* * *

XCIII.

* * *

 _He never asked for his Flames..._

 _..._

 _...never wanted to be a Sky._

* * *

XCIV.

* * *

Reborn needed at least one cup of coffee in the morning to function properly during the day. An espresso with exactly one teaspoon of sugar.

Viper loved her strawberry milk almost as much as they loved getting their hands on new secrets.

Verde, if not properly watched, could spend _days_ inside his lab, without any sleep or proper food.

Lal had a certain quirk whenever something irritated her severely. Her brow would twitch in the funniest of ways and Skull always had to restrain himself from laughing out loud.

Fon was secretly a fan of pop music, though he did his best to hide it from the entire world.

Those were all information Skull gathered and hoarded jealously.

* * *

XCV.

* * *

One of their missions ended up being an infiltration.

His whole team was surprised to witness Skull acting like a perfect aristocrat. The difference between this man before them and whom they thought the Cloud truly was ended up being incredibly shocking.

* * *

XCVI.

* * *

 _Deep down all of them were aware that the Skull they knew was just a_ lie.

* * *

XCVII.

* * *

They all became complacent during the time they spent together. While at first their guards had been raised, they stopped paying as much attention as they should have to their whole situation after a few months.

(...they started _trusting_ each other...

...

...and perhaps that was what truly ended up being their downfall that fated day...)

While they knew that this whole scheme was just a trap, they did not expect to be betrayed by one of their.

 _And that was their biggest mistake._

* * *

XCVIII.

* * *

''I've just received our next mission details,'' said Luce before she informed them of the exact location of that mission.

By now, none of them questioned the weirdness of some of their hits.

* * *

XCIX.

* * *

They climbed the mountain just as planned, entered the described clearing and were unexpectedly blinded by a light appearing out of nowhere.

Nothing was ever the same again.

* * *

C.

* * *

Hindsight, as people liked to say, was 20/20.

Despite all their weird missions - they once even had to rob a candy factory of all its sweets - they should have known that there was something seriously wrong with their current assignment.

For one, its location was literary in the middle of nowhere. Second, the information they previously received was even more scarce than usually. And third, Luce had never directly accompanied them on a mission before.

Those were all points that should have rung some bells for them.

And now due to their stupidity, Skull realized as he stared at his _tiny_ hands, they would pay the prize for their own actions.

* * *

CI.

* * *

There was a tiny octopus in front of him. It had appeared with the cursing light.

Taking the little guy into his infant arms, Skull decided numbly to name him Oodako.

* * *

CII.

* * *

Their animal companions weren't the only ones to appear that day. While the bright light slowly ceased to blind their eyes, a blonde man, now infant, came into view.

Despite the shock and panic that had overcome Skull, his Flames writhed happily within him at the sight of _his_ last missing piece.

* * *

CIII.

* * *

All of them went back to what they now knew to be the Arcobaleno mansion. There, it did not take them long to figure out Luce's involvement in their current ordeal and consecutive betrayal.

She was promptly thrown out of their home.

It _hurt_ Skull to see how much this woman's betrayal pained his teammates.

Actually, just about now, _everything hurt._

With their plan, Luce and Checkerface had taken and destroyed all of their futures. From this day on, they would all be trapped in the bodies of toddlers until they _died._

Romantic relationships, having children and following most of their dreams had now become an impossibility.

 _Skull would never drive a motorcycle again. Never perform before a crowd._

(...a small voice in the back of his mind couldn't help questioning who Skull de Mort was without his biggest _passion..._

...

...the answer to that was as easy as it was painful...

...

...

...without his talent, he was just little, broken _Cherep,_ the urchin from the streets of Ukraine and the boy who had _failed_ his own brother...)

* * *

CIV.

* * *

Most of them just stayed in their rooms at first, trying to deal with this tragedy on their own.

(...it took Skull several days to reconstruct his _mask...)_

By the time some of them were ready for a little socializing, three weeks had already passed.

Awkward wasn't a strong enough word to describe their current physical constitution.

It was hard to move, let alone take care of the most basic human needs, with their suddenly too short limbs. Their speech and in some ways perception were impaired as well.

In any other situation, Skull might have found the fact that Reborn could not even pronounce 'Ciao' properly funny. Instead, hearing this, the stuntman only felt like crying.

(...in some ways, Reborn had always been his _favorite...)_

* * *

CV.

* * *

Out of Reborn's room, loud sounds of destruction could be heard. The bang of a gun and the shattering of glass followed.

His anger was endless.

* * *

CVI.

* * *

One day, during a now rare mealtime they all chose to attend, Lal finally properly introduced her companion to her team.

''This is _Colonello,_ my stupid student.''

For the first time in weeks Skull felt some warmth in form of awe in his chest.

He could not help thinking that he had probably never seen something as wonderful as this pair of _Twin Flames_ before him.

* * *

CVII.

* * *

They spent a few more weeks together, adjusting to their new lives alongside each other.

Within a short time Skull became the recipient of not only Reborn's but also Colonello's anger.

He accepted all their insults and actions against him with open arms.

Like this they at least had someone besides themselves to direct their anger and sometimes even hatred on.

(...he _needed_ to take care of them, _shelter_ them in every way possible...)

* * *

CVIII.

* * *

They all parted their ways soon.

* * *

CIX.

* * *

 _Alone, there was nothing as hellish as being alone._

* * *

CX.

* * *

Skull traveled all over the world for some time. He went from one country to another, always making sure to stay out of sight as well as out of earshot. It became very clear early on that the mafia was _hunting_ him.

Everyone wanted to have one of the Arcobaleno as a member of their Famiglia. The supposed strength of the _I Prescelti Sette_ could make even the most powerful mafia boss salivate with greed.

No one really cared about the Cloud Arcobaleno being just a civilian. No one cared about the tragedy that had befallen their group.

What everyone did care about was _power._

 _And for all that Skull de Mort was just a civilian, there was no denying that he had power._

* * *

CXI.

* * *

It was a fortunate thing that during their time together, Reborn had taken it upon himself to teach Skull Italian.

* * *

CXII.

* * *

 _The world kept changing, but they all stayed the same._

* * *

CXIII.

* * *

Unsurprisingly, he could not stay away from everyone for too long.

The only startling thing was that Verde ended up being the first person Skull decided to seek out.

* * *

CXIV.

* * *

This place is a mess, was the first thought that came to Skull's mind once he entered Verde's lab.

He had had to be extremely sneaky to pass by the Lightning's bodyguards without detection and it was only due to his small size and agility that he managed to escape the more mechanical traps this place had to offer.

''When was the last time you slept?'' asked the stuntman once he managed to locate his...teammate.

It took Verde a very long moment to look up from his notes. ''Sleep is for the weak. I have no time for it if I want to get something done.''

''Skull thinks that a few hours of sleep would do you good,'' the Cloud said, pouting theatrically to emphasize his statement.

''And _I_ think that this is none of your business.'' Was the only answer he received.

It wasn't pleasant to watch the other man turn his back on him, but that did not stop Skull from procuring something to eat and drink for the other. Neither did it hinder him from laying a warm and fluffy blanket on Verde's shoulder once his exhaustion finally caught up to him and he fell asleep on his desk.

(...if, as a thank you for his actions, Verde presented him with a motorcycle that could be driven by someone of their current size during his next visit, then no one actually dared to point it out...)

* * *

CXV.

* * *

His life continued just like that. One after another, Skull would visit his fellow Arcobaleno, be it to just drink some tea with Fon or pretend to attack Mafia Land and thus spent some time with Colonello.

(...he could not stand the fact that they were always apart...)

Years passed like this and before Skull realized it, he suddenly knew the meaning of walking out of time.

The world advanced and people they once knew grew old.

It was only accidentally that Skull found out that his guardian had died. By that time, Mykyta had been already buried for two years.

(...that night, _Cherep_ wept...)

* * *

CXVI.

* * *

Although their bodies did not change, their personalities did.

As their hope for a normal life started to dwindle and acceptance slowly grew, all the Arcobeleno started to grow and _live_ again.

* * *

CXVII.

* * *

Aria was born and Luce died.

Then Yuni was born and Aria died.

Skull did not care either way.

* * *

CXVIII.

* * *

Watching Reborn turned into one of his favorite activities.

It was incredible who this man turned out to be. After slowly coming to accept their fate, the hitman started to make the best of the life he had. He continued to pursue his title of the World's Greatest Hitman and also focused on learning as much as he could about their world. Somewhere along the way Reborn discovered his passion for teaching others.

Skull could not help the warmth that filled his chest each time he saw that proud expression on Reborn's face when one of his students did something right.

(...even if he had wanted to, Skull would not have been capable of keeping his eyes from him...)

* * *

CXIX.

* * *

The world kept on turning.

Mafia families tried to recruit him.

It was through an accident that he became the boss of the Carcassa Famiglia.

* * *

CXX.

* * *

''How should Skull have known that killing that guy would automatically make him into the next Carcassa Don?'' inquired the Cloud while flailing his arms.

Viper stared at him from behind their hood. ''Through common logic? The man had no heirs, which meant that his position would be inherited through the right of conquest.''

Skull could only stare dumbly.

* * *

CXXI.

* * *

Only a few years later, Viper found themselves a _Sky._

The _agony_ Skull felt when he found out this fact came second only to his brother's death.

* * *

CXXII.

* * *

 _A whole Mafia family ceased to exist the night Skull found out about Viper's and Xanxus' bond._

* * *

CXXIII.

* * *

Sawada Tsunayoshi entered their lives soon after.

* * *

CXXIV.

* * *

It was funny how sometimes the seemingly most insignificant person could change the entire world.

* * *

CXXV.

* * *

The Future happened.

The Representative Battle occurred

 _Their curse ended up being broken._

Life continued.

* * *

CXXVI.

* * *

Growing up anew, even if at an accelerated pace, forced Skull to remember many unpleasant events.

Still, spending time with all of the Arcobaleno again made up for everything.

* * *

CXXVII.

* * *

 _It was a mistake that put Skull's biggest secret in jeopardy._

* * *

CXXVIII.

* * *

Five years after the breaking of the Arcobaleno curse, the once infants finally reached their original age.

In celebration the Vongola Famiglia threw a party for them all.

The most important figureheads of their world were in attendance, among them many Skies in search for Guardians.

It was only natural that they all swarmed around the previous Arcobaleno.

 _Skull could not stand it._

* * *

CXXIX.

* * *

After losing Viper, something within Skull had _snapped_.

* * *

CXXX.

* * *

The last straw was a female Sky that tried to attract Reborn through seduction, her Flames brushing almost aggressively against the man's skin.

A bright and all-encompassing anger flooded Skull's entire body. The constraints holding his Flames back _snapped_ just for a second.

 _Sky Flames more powerful even than those of Yuni or Tsuna flooded the whole ballroom._

They forced the unknown Sky's Flames away from Reborn and brushed inadvertently against the Sun.

In the last moment, Skull managed to pull away.

 _By that time, it was already too late for Reborn._

* * *

CXXXI.

* * *

A hush went over the whole room as the woman, Cordelia or such something stumbled away from him.

Normally, Reborn would have at least tried to catch her. Tried to keep his gentlemanly facade from crumbling.

He could not care less about any of that right now, not when for the first time in his life he felt what a true Sky Attraction was supposed to be like.

Almost frantically, his eyes searched for the source of this wonder as he felt the Flames brush one last time against his own. He tried to grab them and keep them in place, instinctively trying to form a bond the Sky clearly did not wish to give him.

(...something within his very soul _howled_ in rage...)

A few weeks later, Reborn would curse himself for his ignorance.

For in his mad search for _his_ Sky, he did not notice _him_ leaving the room.

He did not notice Skull practically running away from him.

* * *

CXXXII.

* * *

Skull expected the Arcobaleno to give up their search for him within days. He was surprised to see Lal being the first member of the previous Arcobaleno to move on with her normal life after a week. She was then followed by Colonello. Afterwards came Verde and lastly Fon.

 _Reborn did not give up._

Even three weeks later the man was still going over the list of people in attendance during the celebration, trying to find the most likely one to be this unknown Sky.

It was _mad,_ the way he exhausted himself day in and day out, but it did not surprise Skull at all.

After all, he had always been the most drawn to Reborn as well. The Sun Arcobaleno had always been the biggest danger to his restraint, calling Skull's Sky Flames to the surface each and every single time he just entered the room.

 _Cherep had always wanted Reborn the most._

* * *

CXXXIII.

* * *

A week passed, then two and three. At the one month mark, Skull wasn't the only one seriously worried about Reborn.

To help his tutor, Tsunayoshi even got involved.

They couldn't find anything, of course.

This did not make Skull feel as relieved as it should have.

* * *

CXXXIV.

* * *

''You should get some sleep, Reborn-senpai,'' exclaimed the stuntman as he watched Reborn looking over another set of documents.

The only answer he received was a dark glower.

* * *

CXXXV.

* * *

''I made you some coffee, Reborn.'' This time it was Tsuna trying to get through to the Sun.

The answer wasn't all that different.

* * *

CXXXVI.

* * *

Over the next few weeks, those closest to Reborn tried to get him to give up on his obsession.

They were met with more aggressive responses each day.

* * *

CXXXVII.

* * *

Something needed to be done.

Unfortunately, Skull was the only one with a real solution.

* * *

CXXXVIII.

* * *

It was funny, the way Skull had always feared revealing his secret and yet found himself to be completely calm once the time actually came.

He decided to seek Reborn out in the gardens of the Vongola mansion, stopping a few meters behind him to observe the man's profile in descending sun.

It took him a while to gather enough courage to step forward and even longer to start speaking.

''I had a brother once,'' _Cherep_ whispered over the wind. ''He was a Cloud.''

Whether it was the unusual tone of voice the young man used or that this was the first time he had not referred to himself in third person in Reborn's presence, something about his demeanor clearly caught the Sun's attention.

The Italian angled his body in Cherep's direction, a question already clear on his lips.

A hand gently pressed against his chest stopped him from saying anything.

For a second both men stared at the appendage. It was only when purple Flames started dancing across it that Reborn flinched backwards. He was stopped by the hand grabbing a tight hold of his shirt.

''It's alright,'' Cherep murmured. ''I'm sorry.''

Whatever might have come out of Reborn's mouth next was stopped by the loud gasp that escaped his lips the moment he saw the soft flickers of orange on the back of his fellow Arcobaleno's hand.

Instinctively, his hand flew upwards and took a tight hold of Skull's.

 _And as the Sky and the Sun met a bond immediately snapped into place._

 _''Oh.''_

* * *

CXXXIX.

* * *

''You're a Sky,'' Reborn uttered once the delirious feeling of Harmonization subsided slightly, his voice tinged not only with disbelieve but also awe.

There was no real response from Skull, whose head had fallen forward heavily and was now leaning against Reborn's shoulder.

''You...'' The Sun tried again. _''How?''_

''Viktor wasn't just _a Cloud.''_ the stuntman paused and took a deep breath, preparing himself to tell a truth he had never spoken aloud. ''He was _mine._ My first and only Guardian up until now.''

Silently, Reborn contemplated this statement. It did not take a genius to notice Skull's specific use of the past tense. Neither did one need much to figure out what this meant.

There was a reason why so very few Elements had a Sky and it wasn't only because there were so few Skies as a whole. The bearers of the Orange Flames depended heavily on their Guardians. They needed them not only for their own protection but also _balance._

Most often, it took a Sky only a few months to find a whole set of Guardians. They guarded them jealously and did not hesitate to eliminate any threat towards them.

It was not unheard of for a Sky to go crazy due to the loss of too many Guardians.

(...'too many' wasn't a set number...

...

...it could span from as much as just one to a whole set of six...)

His hands tightened around Skull's shoulders - when had he put them around the other man? - and Reborn exhaled slowly.

For the first time since they met, Reborn realized that he had no idea who the hell Skull de Mort actually was.

* * *

CXL.

* * *

Suddenly, everything made sense.

* * *

CXLI.

* * *

Hiding this development from the rest of their team was impossible.

As such, Skull soon found himself almost a whole set of Guardians.

* * *

CXLII.

* * *

 _''I'm sorry, Viper.''_

* * *

CXLIII.

* * *

The hood did not shift off Viper's face. Xanxus stood stoically at their side.

For a moment a fight seemed imminent between the two present Skies.

Before anything could happen, Viper, despite Xanxus' clear displeasure, stated, ''I could have been _yours.''_

''I know.'' Cherep had to swallow harshly. ''I doubt that it will make you feel better, but losing you will always be one of my biggest regrets.''

There was nothing anyone could truly say to that.

* * *

CXLIV

* * *

He never even tried to find a Mist or Cloud Guardian.

 _No one could ever replace those he had already lost._

* * *

CXLV.

* * *

Sky Flames saturated the air, announcing his presence to the whole world way before he even entered the room.

His Guardians were at his side once the large doors to the banquette room opened and all of its occupants were left speechless when they saw the truth unfolding before them.

* * *

CXLVI.

* * *

And just like that one of the biggest secrets of their world was revealed and the whole mafia ended up being shocked because Skull de Mort, the Cloud Arcobaleno, was actually a _Sky_.


	4. Dollhouse II

**So, here is the continuation of _Dollhouse_. I hope you'll enjoy it.**

 **Please leave a review.**

 **Summary: She has always been a liar. (Or: In which love becomes just another word for obsession and two souls merge into one.) [SI, Self-Insert/OC-Insert as Chrome]  
**

 **Enjoy**

* * *

 _Dollhouse II_

* * *

 _puppet_ (n.) _a toy in the shape of a person or animal that you can move with strings or by putting your hand inside_

* * *

I.

* * *

Mukuro awoke to the smell of grapes, long strands of hair tickling his mouth as he inhaled deeply and obscuring most of his vision.

After spending his whole life as a prisoner or fugitive on the run, lying next to another person with their limbs tangled should not have been as comfortable as it was.

And yet, being together with Nagi brought a certain sense of peace to his mind that allowed the male Mist to rest without his past haunting him in his sleep.

Thus, Rokudo Mukuro just burrowed his head deeper in the girl's hair and and allowed a peaceful slumber to claim him.

* * *

II.

* * *

''What do you remember most vividly from the time before this life?'' Nagi asked, biting her lip anxiously.

Tapping her hand with a finger, Mukuro smiled almost indulgently. ''My once father's furious visage when he found me in bed with another boy.''

 _They both knew that was a lie._

* * *

III.

* * *

Despite the stifling nature of their relationship, Mukuro found himself reluctant every time he was forced to part from his partner.

Nagi could take care of herself, he was aware of that.

And yet, this awareness did not change the fact that he would mercilessly _destroy_ anyone who dared to lay a finger upon her.

* * *

IV.

* * *

Mukuro left his fellow Mist alone only once.

 _That turned out to be a mistake._

* * *

V.

* * *

When the boy came home, he found Nagi sitting at the dinning table next to the Sun Arcobaleno, drinking coffee.

Before Mukuro could say anything, she informed him of the deal she had made with the hitman.

* * *

VI.

* * *

 _''If you become the Decimo's Guardians, the Vindice will be dealt with by the Vongola.''_

* * *

VII.

* * *

''You shouldn't have done that,'' Mukuro said after watching the Sun Arcobaleno leave. ''It's not worth it.''

''I can't force you to fight for your freedom, so you don't have to come,'' begun Nagi, her gaze set firmly upon the other Mist's form. ''But I can't give up this chance. If the price of your freedom is giving my loyalty to the Vongola, then so be it.''

The only thing that stopped him from arguing was that he would have done the same for her.

* * *

VIII.

* * *

They arrived at the school together and entered the gym side by side.

The shocked faces of the Vongola Decimo and his Guardians were almost worth the trouble the two Mists would now have to go through.

* * *

IX.

* * *

''That's Rokudo Mukuro,'' exclaimed Gokudera Hayato, his right hand pointing accusingly at her fellow Mist while his left took a hold of a couple of explosives.

Instinctively, Nagi tried to take a step in front of Mukuro, but she was immediately stopped by him. Side by side, that was the way they were supposed to stand. If one of them went down, then so would the other.

Not that Hayato truly represented a danger to them. From what the girl knew, the boy's Flames were untrained and even if that were not the case, he would still not be at their level.

There was a reason why Twin Flames were so sought after. Why even in the anime, Mukuro and Chrome managed to fight an Arcobaleno on equal footing.

Fact was that besides the present Arcobaleno, Mukuro and Nagi possessed the most powerful Flames out of all the people present.

 _None of these children would actually ever stand a chance at surviving a fight against the two of them._

* * *

X.

* * *

Ultimately, it was Tsunayoshi who stopped the commotion their arrival had started by stating what Nagi thought to be a rather obvious truth. ''They're here to help.''

Eyes widening, Hayato screeched, ''What?! How can you know that, Juudaime?!''

Although watching his shock and posturing had been amusing at the beginning, Nagi was slowly getting tired of all the loud behavior. If the Storm Guardian did not shut up soon, the girl would be forced to do something rather drastic.

''You can't trust them,'' finished the Half-Italian, the inflection in his voice showing clearly what he thought about the two Mists.

''I don't think I've got much of a choice in this.'' Tsunayoshi scratched his head. ''Besides, I don't get any bad...ah vibes from them, so they're not here to hurt us.''

''Why would we ever want to harm our dear Sky?'' Nagi inferred before one of the other Guardians could start arguing again. ''The rules of our deal have been made very clear. As long as you don't betray us, Sawada-san, you're safe from us.''

(...warning bells were ringing loudly within Tsuna's ears as he saw the two Mists' eyes flare in union and their Flames brushed simultaneously against his own...

...

...the warning was loud and clear...

...

...

... _any kind of betrayal would not be forgiven..._ )

* * *

XI.

* * *

The announcement for the beginning of the next battle came soon after.

Neither Mukuro nor Nagi are surprised by the participation of the Mist Arcobaleno.

* * *

XII.

* * *

While not necessarily easy, their fight could not truly be considered hard either.

Viper might have been incredibly powerful, but they were also just as if not more _arrogant._ They underestimated the two children before them and were forced to pay the price for such a foolishness.

* * *

XIII.

* * *

The two of them took over the Arcobaleno's illusions easily, turning them against their original maker and ultimately forcing their enemy to flee.

 _Nagi had never felt so glorious before._

* * *

XIV.

* * *

Each of them took possession of half of the ring.

* * *

XV.

* * *

 _They started attending Tsunayoshi's school soon after._

* * *

XVI.

* * *

''I don't get why I have to come with you,'' uttered Mukuro, feeling clearly more than a little displeased.

Ignoring his bad mood proficiently, Nagi smiled sweetly at her _better_ half. ''For one, your current body belongs to a minor.'' She raised her hand to stop him from uttering whatever response he had to that statement. ''And although you might not care about that, the authorities certainly will. Besides, there is no way in hell that I'll suffer through another day of middle school by myself.''

''This won't end well.'' Mukuro narrowed his eyes dangerously. ''Whatever happens, the blame doesn't go on me. This whole mad scheme was your idea.''

Nagi regarded her fellow Mist contemplatively, the look in her eyes bordering on c _razed._ ''I do so enjoy _chaos.''_

* * *

XVII.

* * *

 _''Class, let me introduce our two new students. These are Rokudo Mukuro and Akiyama Nagi. Please welcome them warmly.''_

* * *

XVIII.

* * *

Early on, it became very clear that they were _not_ welcome. The other Vongola Guardians did not trust them nor did they want the two Mists around their Sky.

Nagi could only smile at their outright animosity.

After everything Mukuro and her had been through, those children did not stand a chance at intimidating them.

* * *

XIX.

* * *

 _''I'll bite you to death.''_

* * *

XX.

* * *

Meeting Hibari Kyoya was not something she had planned, which was a rarity nowadays. Due to her foreknowledge, Nagi tended to plan and scheme a lot to make sure that Mukuro's and her future would end up being a good as possible.

As such, she would not have normally gone off to meet a lose canon such as Hibari Kyoya without a careful consideration beforehand.

Unfortunately, she had no idea that the boy liked spending his time on the roof of the school. It was there that she saw him for the first time while searching for some sort of reprieve from all the children surrounding her.

Their eyes clashed, Flames flaring.

''Hibari-san,'' Nagi murmured softly as she bowed in a polite manner.

The Cloud narrowed his eyes. ''Omnivore.''

 _He knew exactly how to distinguish a fellow monster._

* * *

XXI.

* * *

The Ring Battles continued.

Neither Mukuro or Nagi were interested in attending.

* * *

XXII.

* * *

Before the last battle, Bel and Mammon broke into their home.

Mukuro showed them exactly what he thought about their intentions of kidnapping his fellow Mist.

* * *

XXIII.

* * *

Weaving Nagi's hair into an elegant braid, Mukuro commented, ''The shit is about to hit the fan, huh?''

 _'That is a nice way to describe the chaos that will soon enter their life',_ the female Mist thought as she carefully considered her answer. They both knew exactly what they were getting themselves into when they got involved with the Vongola. While Nagi did not know how much time it would take for the plot of this once-story to progress, she knew exactly what was awaiting them in the _Future._

''We'll be alright,'' the girl begun. ''There is nothing the future holds that will actually be a surprise to us.''

* * *

XXIII.

* * *

(...As it turned out, Nagi knew _nothing_ because in the future...

...

... _well, in the future, they were both_ dead _...)_

* * *

XXIV.

* * *

''Come on, I'll show you the way to the base.''

* * *

XXV.

* * *

Out of all the viable people, Hibari Kyoya ended up being the first person the two Mists met in the future. He picked them up from what Nagi had by then realized to be their _grave_ and led them silently to the safety of their base.

Not even once did the man allow his gaze to linger on them. It was as if he was completely avoiding to looking at the two children.

 _How peculiar._

* * *

XXVI.

* * *

''Aren't you happy to see us, _Boss?''_ Nagi questioned mockingly, making her low opinion of the boy before her very clear.

Tsuna ignored her jibe and chose to focus on the important matters. ''How did you get here? What's going on in the past?'' His gaze moved over their bodies, lingering on Nagi's dirtied form. ''Are you unharmed?''

A Sky, indeed.

''Are you actually worried about us?'' Mukuro asked, the tone of his voice more than a little amused. ''Or is it just my cute, little Nagi who causes you to feel concerned?''

Red colored the Vongola Decimo's cheeks. ''I just don't want to see anyone harmed.''

(... _how naive and childish..._

 _..._

 _...did he really not realize that this world of theirs would never allow such a thing?...)_

Nagi's expression changed into something dry albeit not unkind. ''Then you're even more stupid than I'd already thought you to be.''

* * *

XXVII.

* * *

Someone had prepared curry for dinner.

Nagi was more than a little amused that even during a war, Vongola's Tenth Generation still found some time for bonding and family dinners.

* * *

XXVIII.

* * *

 _''So, how did we die?''_

For a second, Hibari looked startled by her question, but his face shuttered off before Nagi could analyse his expression properly. His voice was emotionless as he spoke, ''As one of Vongola's most dangerous assets, you were assassinated at the beginning of this war. It was an instant death, so your Flames could not save you.'' He tilted his head to the side. ''Mukuro went on a rampage afterwards, practically committing suicide to join you.''

* * *

XXIX.

* * *

 _She did not miss how much he seemed to know about them. Neither did she overlook the familiar way in which he addressed both her and Mukuro._

* * *

XXX.

* * *

With a little digging, the male Mist managed to find out w _ho_ exactly had killed his companion.

 _Glo Xinia did not survive that night._

* * *

XXXI.

* * *

The story proceeded and Nagi and Mukuro continued going back and forth between the future and the past.

Somewhere along the way, the two Mists met _Byakuran._

* * *

XXXII.

* * *

 _''Despite all the differences I've seen between all the universes, your bond is constant in each and every single one of them.''_

* * *

XXXIII.

* * *

Daemon Spade never happened.

The Representative Battle occurred.

Life continued.

* * *

XXXIV.

* * *

Years passed.

All of them finished school and one after another Vongola's Tenth Generation started moving to Italy until only Hibari remained in Namimori.

 _Somewhere along the way, a weak bond between them and Tsunayoshi formed._

* * *

XXXV.

* * *

Assassinations. Infiltration. Theft.

That was only a small part of their work for the Vongola Famiglia.

* * *

XXXVI.

* * *

At the supposed age of eighteen, Nagi had already killed more men than she could count. She had used her illusions to make rooms full of people think that they were _drowning,_ ignited inextinguishable fires and sometimes even just pulled the trigger of a gun.

Guilt was not something she felt anymore. Whether this was because of Mukuro's involvement and influence or her own ever growing apathy towards death did not matter.

The only thing that was of any importance was that she could finish her missions without a hitch, no matter the screams of hatred and pitiful begging coming from her victims.

 _This world had changed her into a monster of the worst kind._

* * *

XXXVII.

* * *

Inwardly, she never stopped laughing at Tsuna's failure.

Change the Mafia? What a _joke._

* * *

XXXVIII.

* * *

The progression of the two Mist's relationship was seamless.

They were together, _always_ , and in _every_ way possible.

* * *

XL.

* * *

They were laying in bed, their naked bodies covered in sweat and legs tangled together.

Feeling mischievous, Nagi trailed her fingers across her partner's torso. A trail of Flames was left in their wake. ''Tomorrow's the wedding.''

Mukuro hummed, the disinterest in his eyes quite obvious.

''You should show at least some concern,'' Nagi admonished Mukuro playfully. ''He's our Sky.''

He snorted in disdain. ''Yes, and his wife-to-be is probably the dullest person I've ever met. There is not much to her besides a pretty face.''

''A pretty face, hmm?'' Nagi said, pursing her lips in fake indignation.

''Yes,'' he stated calmly. ''And even that pales when compared to you.''

Inwardly preening, Nagi couldn't help but tease, ''Don't you think that's a little too cheesy a statement?''

He leaned his body over hers, an amused smirk gracing his lips. ''I only speak the truth.''

 _Nagi laughed._

* * *

XLI.

* * *

The next day, they arrived at the wedding scene fashionably late and dressed completely in w _hite._

* * *

XLII.

* * *

''He's making a mistake,'' whispered Mukuro into her ear as he watched Kyoko walking down the aisle.

Shrugging carelessly, Nagi answered, ''They feel content with each other.''

Regrettably, 'content' was not same as _happy._

* * *

XLIII.

* * *

Tsuna continued making one mistake after another.

It was a fortunate thing that his Mists were always there to take care of his errors.

* * *

XLIV.

* * *

Mukuro's and Hibari's rivalry prevailed through the years. They still bickered and insulted each other over the smallest of things and fought every time someone forced them to stay in the same room for longer than a handful of minutes.

More often than not, their fights ended in an impasse.

 _Nagi was not blind to the fire burning between them._

* * *

XLV.

* * *

At twenty-one, Hibari Kyoya had grown into a handsome and most of all _dangerous_ young man. He was known as one of the strongest members of the Vongola Famiglia, his wrath feared all over the world.

Despite that, Nagi often found herself observing the Cloud, her eyes lingering on him almost as much as they did on Mukuro.

* * *

XLVI.

* * *

 _Something needed to be done._

* * *

XLVII.

* * *

''So,'' Nagi begun, her hand tightening around Mukuro's. ''How does one catch a Cloud?''

Her partner smirked and easily sidestepped another dancing couple. ''I thought you would never ask.'' His gaze moved away from her, focusing on the subject of their attention. ''Though, I do have a few ideas.''

 _''Tell me.''_

* * *

XLVIII.

* * *

They tried flirting at first.

Unfortunately, that seemed to go straight over the emotionally-stunted Kyoya's head.

It became clear very early on that they needed to bring out the big guns.

* * *

XLIX.

* * *

Their advances started out small; a touch to the arm and a few whispered words into Kyoya's ears.

When that didn't work, they became a little more _aggressive_ in their tries.

In hindsight, Nagi had to admit that allowing themselves to be caught in flagranti might not have been the smartest of their ideas.

* * *

L.

* * *

She would never forget the scandalized look that appeared on Tsuna's face when he walked in on them.

* * *

LI.

* * *

Luckily, Nagi had long since stopped feeling something as plebeian as _shame._

(... _That was one positive aspect of narcissism...)_

* * *

LII.

* * *

Weeks went by before Nagi finally lost her patience.

With her eyes ablaze, she walked up to the Vongola Cloud Guardian in the middle of a meeting, planting her mouth rather harshly against his own.

The rest was history.

* * *

LIII.

* * *

And just like that their duo changed into a trio.

This just seemed to make them even more _fearsome_ in the eyes of the entire world.

* * *

LIV.

* * *

They did not get married and neither did the three of them ever have children.

None of them had ever been interested in the former and Nagi, due to the extensive damage that had been done to her organs, was incapable of the later.

And yet, none of that stopped them from staying together. From waking up next to each other in the morning and going on missions in the evening.

Even Mukuro's and Kyoya's fights persisted throughout the years, their passion towards each other never distinguishing.

Their life might not have been perfect by most people's standards, but it still made the trio _happy._

And at the end, that was the only thing that really mattered.

* * *

LV.

* * *

Nagi and Mukuro died at the relatively young age of thirty-seven in the middle of a bloodbath.

 _Their story did not end there._


End file.
